The Dragon Emperor
by Soupsoupsoup
Summary: Eighteen years ago, a young Fire Nation soldier took pity on a Water Tribe woman. He spared her life and that of her unborn child, taking them both back to the Fire Nation as his own wife and daughter. Now, that daughter is choosing to fight for the White Lotus Rebellion in the most dangerous place in the world: The Royal Harem of Dragon Emperor Ozai. Zutara.
1. Chapter 1

Eighteen Years Ago, A Young Fire Nation Soldier Took Pity On A Water Tribe Woman. He Spared Her Life And That Of Her Unborn Child, Taking Them Both Back To The Fire Nation, Taking Them In As His Own Wife And Daughter. Now, That Daughter Is Choosing To Fight For The White Lotus Rebellion In The Most Dangerous Place In The World: The Royal Harem of Dragon Emperor Ozai.

* * *

"Imperial brides, greet their Highnesses the Imperial consorts!" The herald shouted, filling a huge, mostly empty marble room with the echoes of his voice. In unison, ten women all bowed down and said, "Good morning, your Highnesses."

"You may rise," said a tall, extraordinarily beautiful, yet cruel looking, woman at the front of the room. She, and two women with her, were breathtakingly beautiful in their own way. All of them were older than the young girls before them, in their early thirties, and wore heavy, beautiful silk dresses and kimonos. Their hair was piled high on top of their heads and loaded with silver, gold, and jewels.

"Quite an interesting bunch this year, don't you think?" A woman next to her said, with softer features, adorned in a dusky pink kimono.

"Lady Ming, I have a headache today. Please don't make it worse by speaking," said the third woman, Lady Jihyun. She was painfully thin and angular, as if she hadn't eaten for the last year.

"You all know why you are here," The first woman, Lady Kaze said, ignoring her counterparts. "You are here for us to see if you are worthy to become a member of the Imperial Harem. If you are accepted, consider yourself very lucky; rarely more than two girls are accepted per year." Uneasy glances were passed between many of the girls.

"We look for beauty in new Imperial Wives, of course. Family names and connections, skill sets, and uniqueness of character are also a part of the process. You will undergo measurements, to see if you are physically up to par, and then we will observe you for the day. Our decision will be announced at dinner time. Any number of girls may be accepted, from twenty to zero." She coldly looked at the young girls before her, assessing them with a terrible gleam in her eye.

"Begin the measuring."

Women in simple dresses hurried out of the shadows, using sticks and ribbons to measure the young girls' skulls, legs, torsos, and just about every single body part imaginable. The girls were all beautiful and young, none of them older than twenty. Most of them bore the traditional Fire Nation straight, black hair, pale skin, and fiery eyes. They were thin and tall, and everything that had been considered classically beautiful.

One of the girls was different from the others.

Her skin was dark, her eyes blue, and her hair a waving deep brown. Although she was not short, she was curvier, and did not have the billowy slimness of the other girls. Most different of all, though, was the reason why she was in the Imperial Harem.

This odd-looking girl was going to assassinate the Emperor.

* * *

"What is your name, girl?" Lady Jihyun said. The three Imperial Consorts had moved to sit on silk cushions on a dais at the front of the receiving room. It was not nearly as grand as the one in the Imperial Throne Room, and did not spew fire, but was somewhat reminiscent of that. Lady Kaze sat in the center, slightly higher than her counterparts, with Lady Jihyun on her right and Lady Ming on her left.

"I am Katara, daughter of Master Piandao." The eunuch off to the right of the Consorts began furiously shuffling through scrolls, searching for the one with Katara's name on it.

"You look like you are Water Tribe." Lady Kaze said, phrased more as a statement than as a question.

"I'm half. My mother is from the Water Tribe. I was born here though, and I have never even left the Fire Nation," Katara said coolly.

The eunuch handed a scroll to Lady Ming. She unrolled it and began to scan its contents.

"You were born in the spring, eighteen years ago. Your mother was not Master Piandao's First Wife, and died a few years ago. You studied swordsmanship under your father-"

"Only the basics. I am not very good, but he insisted I at least try, because I am his only child." Lady Jihyun fixed her with a terrible glare. Katara felt her face flush as she realized that she had interrupted. "Sorry."

"You are well-educated in all history, mathematics, politics, reading, and writing, but are severely lacking any music, dancing, or art." Lady Ming continued as if the disturbance had never happened.

"I'm really terrible at those sorts of things," Katara said. Titters burst from the group of girls behind Katara, who turned to glare at them. A few of them returned her gaze, but most of them whipped their eyes elsewhere.

"And," Lady Ming paused, as if not quite sure what to think of the words she was reading, "You are a waterbender."

A chorus of gasps rose from up behind me, and whispers began to adorn the empty room, draping themselves on the walls, hanging from the chandeliers.

Katara knew that being a waterbender in the heart of the Fire Nation was going to be… interesting, to say the least. It was not going to be easy in any respect

If she could've, Katara would've hidden her bending. It only made Katara more conspicuous and suspicious to these people. However, her bending was unreliable. Sometimes Katara went months without moving a single drop. Other times, she couldn't even walk past the fish pond in the gardens for fear of getting soaked. Hiding her bending would be impossible. It was better to not even have to worry about it.

"Yes, I am." she said boldly, looking the Consorts straight in the eye.

"Demonstrate your skills," Lady Jihyun demanded. She motioned to the jug of water on the table of refreshments for the Consorts.

"I'm afraid I've never been trained. If I tried, I'm not sure what would happen. However, it probably wouldn't end well." Katara hated admitting this to them. Out of the twenty girls who had been interviewed so far, 13 of them had been firebenders, all of them very skilled. Katara did not have the right or the luxury to learn how to control her gift; she would never be able to reach the ability of those around her, no matter how hard she worked. It frustrated her to have to admit that.

"No? Hmm," Lady Jihyun sniffed, as if she had suddenly smelled something foul. "Very well. You may sit down."

Katara returned to her spot among the other girls. Most of them leaned away from her as she walked past them, they too acting like there was something foul about her. One of the girls, however, a sweet looking girl with bangs, smiled shyly at her. Katara returned the smile, then sat down.

The interviewing process was long and dull. They scrutinized every aspect of a girl's background, talents, and connections, and all the other young candidates had to sit and watch. Although they did not mention it as part of the selection process, Katara suspected that they were carefully scrutinizing not only the girl currently being interviewed, but also those who were waiting. Some girls gave in and began to slouch after an hour, others shifted their legs out from underneath them when they fell asleep, and still others whispered among themselves, or diverted their attention elsewhere.

Katara ensured that she sat very still, straight, and silent, her focus on the Imperial consorts sitting before them.

They were given some free time after the interviews were finished, and Katara was relieved to be able to stand and let her legs regain their feeling. The girls were all herded to a nearby parlor, with access to a powder room and a small courtyard. Katara checked quickly on her appearance in one of the many mirrors, then slipped out into the grassy area.

"You're Katara, right?" Katara turned at the question. The girl who had smiled at her before was sitting on a low chair under a tree. "I'm Onji. It's nice to meet you."

"You too," Katara said genuinely. No matter what she thought of the other girls here, Onji seemed like a really nice girl, someone who she would actually enjoy being around.

"So, why have you chosen to join the harem," Onji asked casually, as if asking what she thought of the weather. It was surprisingly straightforward, but better than just surmising, Katara supposed.

"I didn't really have anything better to do, really. I thought at least I'd have lots of opportunities here." Katara lied smoothly as she joined Onji under the tree, sitting on a chair across from her. "What about you?"

"My mother's idea. She doesn't want me to join the military, and has always held a fascination with the idea of me becoming Empress. I have no plans on becoming Empress, but at least I won't have to become a soldier."

"I thought all firebenders wanted to fight for the glory of the Fire Nation?" Katara clearly remembered Onji being one of the best firebenders who had demonstrated her talents today.

"Maybe many of them do. Just not me. I'm not cut out for that."

Katara and Onji spent the next few minutes in pleasant conversation, something Katara rarely had the opportunity to participate in, before they were summoned to the grand hall again. The girls all hurried back to the room and took their places.

The next hour was spent listening to Lady Jihyun drone on and on about the proper qualities that were required of a lady and, more importantly, for an Imperial wife. She talked of mannerisms, behaviors, and fashions. She instructed all the girls on how they were to behave towards Emperor Ozai, Empress Ursa, other royal family members, Imperial consorts, fellow Imperial wives, and other members of the court.

It really was quite useful information, but only for those who were actually to become members of the Imperial harem.

They had to wait until after dinner for the announcement.

Some of the girls felt as if dinner was never going to come. Every time it seemed like Lady Jihyun had come to the conclusion of her speech, she found something else to talk about.

But then, as if time had just decided to skip forward, the girls were all ushered into dinner, seated at tables covered in silk and laden down with rich, spicy meals of steaks and soups and roasted vegetables. The girls, most of whom had not eaten all day in an effort to have their waists be as small as possible, devoured the food quickly. After plates had been scraped clean and cleared away, they sat in silence, waiting for the announcement to be made. There was a restless anxiety in the air, making everyone want to fidget or move about, but nobody dared.

Lady Kaze finally set aside her meal, looking out at the eager young faces before her.

"I can tell all of you this, honestly: there are many of you here today. Only a scarce few of you would be able to survive a day in the harem. Among those few, there were just three girls who were deemed talented, beautiful, well-connected, and interesting enough to be admitted into the harem." Lady Kaze nodded to the secretarial eunuch at the edge of the room, who unrolled a scroll.

"Lady Onji. Lady Rin. Lady Katara."

Katara froze for a moment. Even though this was exactly what she had wanted, to be admitted to the harem, it was only now that the reality of what she was doing was setting in. Before this, there was always some door she could slip out through, some form of escape. Now, there was no turning back, no control over what happened to her next.

She, Onji, and Rin, who was short, with very long hair, all stood up and bowed in unison. "Thank you, your highnesses."

"The rest of you may gather your things and return to your homes. You may not consider applying to the harem again."

The other girls silently stood, bowed, and left the room. The large dining hall surrounded them with silence.

"All three of you have shown exactly what we look for in new Imperial wives. You are all smart, brave, talented, resilient, and full of potential. If you make effective use of your time here, then you could have many great things ahead of you.

"You will all be shown to your rooms, now. Because of the ranking order, you will all be sharing a room with two other Imperial wives. If you are given a higher-ranking title, then you will be allotted your own rooms and servants. Until then, you must share.

"I feel like I must warn you of this, as well. It is not at all unlikely that you will never meet the Emperor in a private setting. There are 300 women in the harem; the Emperor regularly spends time with around 60 of them. Do not feel disappointed that he does not summon you anytime soon. You must first earn his attention. Do something of note, and perhaps the Emperor will give you notice."

Lady Kaze stood and swept out of the room in a swirl of crimson silk. Lady Jihyun and Lady Ming followed a step behind her, the soles of their shoes clacking against the stone floor. A moment passed, only the three girls and the eunuch still standing in the too-silent room.

"Oh, Katara, I just knew they were going to pick you! Isn't it wonderful! Now we can truly become friends!" Onji hurried to Katara's side, grabbing her arm and giggling. Katara joined in, both girls pleased that the other was still there.

"Ladies, if you would follow me, we will head to your chambers," The eunuch said. The girls hurried to follow him. For a shorter man, he walked surprisingly fast.

"My name is Wong. If you ladies need anything, you may ask me and I will make the arrangements," He said all of this briskly, and his tone made it clear that if we wanted to wake up the next morning, we'd better not ask him for anything unless it was very important.

"These are your rooms. There are five of you in here. Your meals will be served in your parlor." He sighed. "I suppose you should all get settled in now."

We watched as he hurried around the corner. "Well, he wasn't very friendly," Onji said, and I silently agreed.

The room behind the door was large, with a sectioned off area for each girl. Every section had a bed, a bookshelf, a wardrobe, and a vanity, all in matching dark wood. The beds were covered in dark burgundy sheets, the walls a slightly lighter shade of red patterned wallpaper, and the floors a dark slate tile. It gave the room a dark feeling, but it wasn't unfriendly.

After claiming an unoccupied section in the corner of the room, I explored the rest of our suites. There was a parlor off to one side, with large cushioned chairs, low tables, and a few scattered instruments. The room had a lighter, airier feel to it, with a wall of sliding paper doors that could be moved aside to let the breeze come in off a small garden.

Off the opposite side of the room stood our bathroom. It was all done in beautiful creamy stone, with a huge bath in the center of the floor. Sinks and mirrors lined some of the walls, and the whole room felt soft and warm and smelled of poppies.

As soon as possible, Katara asked one of the three maids we girls were to share to start the bath. The huge tub was filled to the brim, and scented oils and salts were poured in, making the whole room smell like cinnamon and fire lilies. Katara scrubbed her hair and body off to the side, loving the scents and the warmth that filled the room. Then, after pouring a bucket of water over her head to remove the bubbles, she climbed into the tub and sank down, the water coming to her chin.

She stayed like that for at least twenty minutes, pondering the situation she had gotten herself into. She had always known that there were women who joined the harem but never met the Emperor. That was part of the reason her father had been willing to send her. But if she was never able to be near the Emperor, how would she be able to complete her mission? The only times she was likely to encounter him were at banquets and feasts and celebrations.

She had hoped that she would be able to attract as little attention as possible, but it was looking like Katara would have to become close to someone higher ranked. She would do everything she could to stay away from the Emperor, for she didn't want to _actually_ become an Imperial wife, nor participate in the duties associated with such a title.

She pondered her options. Katara and her father had come up with a plan: Katara was to assess the situation and decide when would be the best opportunity for her to act. Then, she would kill Emperor Ozai subtly, so that nobody would notice for a while. She would then let the rebels into the palace, and they would secure the government. After that, her job would be done, this never-ending war would be over, and the world would be on its way to freedom and peace.

But things were a lot more complicated than she had realized. It would take longer for her to be able to complete the plan than they had thought before Everything would have to be played by ear now.

"How's the water?" A voice asked. Katara opened her eyes and saw Rin walking in. She had changed from the elaborate clothes they had been wearing before and now wore a simple skirt and top.

"It was warmer ten minutes ago, but it's still wonderful," Katara sighed. "Baths have always been my favorite thing."

"It makes sense, since you're a waterbender. Being surrounded by all that water," Rin said dryly, stripping out of her clothes and starting to wet her hair.

"I'll let you have the bath, now," Katara said, standing up and grabbing a towel from a pile near the bath. "I've been in there long enough."

"Don't leave on my behalf," Rin said, then poured a cup full of water all over her head.

"No, I've been turning into a sea prune, I've been in there for so long." Katara flashed a smile at Rin. "Have a good bath. I'm going to get ready for bed.

She quickly dried off, then slipped into the nightgown she had brought with her.

Sliding between the sheets on her bed, she closed her eyes and pondered her plan. It would be better for her to assess the situation tomorrow, then contact her father when she'd come up with a plan.

Her father.

Katara would miss Piandao so much. No matter if she had lied to the Imperial consorts about being half Fire Nation: Piandao was the man who had raised her, the only father she had ever known.

Years earlier, before Katara had even been born, Katara's mother Kya had been living in the Water Tribe. She'd had a husband and a son there, and had been blissfully happy. But the war that had been affecting them for years suddenly affected Kya personally.

There had been raids and battles fought near the Southern Water Tribe for years, but that one had been the worst. There were more Fire Nation soldiers than normal, and the Water Tribe was still recovering from the most recent raid on their village.

Katara clearly remembered her mother telling her this story: the haunted look that entered her eyes, the stillness that Katara so rarely saw in her mother. Every time she remembered the story, Katara felt chills run through her body, especially at how easily things could have gone differently.

The Fire Nation soldiers were very cruel, far more than they usually were. They completely destroyed the whole village, and no mercy was given. Water Tribe warriors, women, and children were all killed hesitation.

Kya was alone in her family's hut when the attack came. She went to barricade the door, but before she could, a Fire Nation captain came in and began shoving her around.

Kya had always been very vague about what had happened with the soldier. Katara had her suspicions, but she chose not to think about them.

"Then, when I thought all hope had been lost," Katara remembered her mother's voice, "He came in."

"Dad?" A young Katara had asked, bouncing with the excitement of how her father had saved her mother.

"Yes, Katara," Kya had said, a sad smile on her face. "It was Piandao.

"He strode in, shoved the man away from me, and pointed his sword at his chest. 'Why,' he'd said 'are you doing this to this innocent women?'

"'No survivors,' the man had spat, 'Otherwise they'll never surrender.'"

Katara's mother had gone silent there, as if pondering her next words. "I don't know exactly why Piandao did what he did, then. He must have thought that I had a family, but hadn't cared, or hadn't seen another way to save me without ruining his own career. But he turned around, scooped me into his arms, and hauled me onto the Fire Navy warship.

"I didn't understand why this was happening to me. I screamed and fought him, crying for my husband to save me, and when he locked me in his cabin I tried for hours to escape. When he came back, I attacked him with a candlestick," She laughed dryly at this.

"But he told me calmly that they had been told to leave no survivors in the village, and as much as he would have loved to have stopped the slaughter, he had settled for saving who he could. He had given the other villagers a way out, and many of them had been able to escape. He had told every man he came across that Hakoda- my husband- needed to meet us at the port of Whale Tale Island in five weeks.

"Piandao told me that, because that man had witnessed him saving me, he couldn't let me escape with the others, or he would be killed for treason and disobeying orders. But he was earnest and kind, convinced me that he would never hurt me, and would get me to my husband on time. I agreed, albiet reluctantly.

"But then, two weeks later, I realized that I was pregnant."

"With me?" Katara's eyes widened at the idea.

"Yes, my most precious pearl. I was going to have you." Katara's mother had stroked the side of her daughter's face tenderly.

"I tried to hide it, but we didn't stop at a port for another three weeks, and by that time the whole ship knew that I was pregnant. But all of them thought that it was not my husband's child, but Piandao's.

"I didn't care what they thought, and wanted to get back to my husband and son right away. But when we pulled into port, no matter where we looked, we couldn't find my husband. We asked every person on the island if they'd even heard of any Water Tribesmen in the area, or even any ships.

"Three days later, Piandao came to me with news. Two weeks earlier, three of the Water Tribe ships that had been able to escape had washed up on the Southern Beach of the Island. I went to see them. They were completely destroyed, but I was able to identify Hakoda's ship. He had perished at sea."

Katara gasped at this, and grabbed her mother's hand.

"I was distraught, for of course our son had been with him. I had nowhere to go, no way to get there, and no idea where the rest of my village had gone. I could not search for them in my condition, and I could not take a baby out into the icy wilderness of the South Pole without a place to go, once you were born."

"But everything turned out alright, didn't it, Mom?"

"Yes," Kya said, smiling. "Piandao offered to take me to his home and disguise me as his wife. He had already been married, and very happily, but he had written his wife and gotten her permission to take us in. All the soldiers already thought that my child was his, so it would not be too unlikely that he would make me officially his wife.

"He promised me a home and a family. And he told me that he one day hoped to help avenge my family and bring peace to the world." Kya stroked Katara's hair. "So, I went with him. I had you, and you've been protected by Piandao claiming you as his own. You have been given far more than I ever could have provided you with. We have much to be thankful for."

Katara remembered little of her mother. This memory of her telling Katara of their true history was rare and precious to her.

Kya had become sick when Katara was seven years old, and died within months. She had always been a very active woman, and Katara remembered most how her mother stopped running around doing anything and everything she could to help people and stayed in her bed, too tired to even sit up on her own. It had been chilling. Katara hadn't quite understood what was happening then, but now, looking at the memories of their time together, she clearly saw her mother trying to make the most of their time together.

Kya had told Katara everything about her life, about their culture, and about their family. Even though she had never met him, Katara could almost see her birth father's face when she closed her eyes.

She touched the necklace around her neck- her mother's necklace.

"I swear, Mom, I'll avenge our family. I'll save the world. Just for you."

That night, when she should have been plagued with dreams of fire, red silk, and endless bloodshed, Katara slept peacefully. And, even though she was a waterbender, a spark had ignited within her that night. The fire of determination warmed her, comforted her, and drove away her fears until the sun rose the next day.

* * *

 **A.N.**

 **I got this weird idea for a Zutara story revolving around an Imperial Harem, revolutions, murders, and love that could burn down nations when I saw a picture of Fan Bingbing in her red and white ceremonial dress from when she was in _The Empress of China_. She was stunningly beautiful, and she and her man had matching outfits, and I thought that would make amazing Zutara wedding clothes. I then started watching the show (which, if you're into Asian dramas, is amazing and beautiful. I still haven't finished it though.) and came up with this plot.**

 **I've rated it T because of dark-ish themes, angst, and mentioned sex. There will be absolutely no smut contained within this story, but because Katara has joined a _harem_ , her having sex will be mentioned as necessary to the story. Most of said sex will most likely be either reluctant or rape and will be portrayed in an unhealthy way. Katara and other characters will be in unhealthy relationships, as well.**

 **I know that sounds dark and intense, but honestly I'm not planning for it to be as bad as it seems now.**

 **Please let me know what you guys think! I'd love to hear from all of you!**

 **Also, I'm thinking about getting a beta for this. If anyone is willing, or knows anyone willing, message me!**

 **Thank you guys for reading this! It means a lot to me.**

 **xoxoxo**


	2. Chapter 2

**I always forget these things...**

 **So I don't forget for the rest of the time I write the story, I'm going to say this once, because it's not going to change.**

 **UNIVERSAL DISCLAIMER: I don't own Avatar. At all.**

* * *

Katara woke to the familiar feeling of silk on her body, the fresh scent of her barely-damp hair, and the warm sunshine of Fire Nation summers. She sat up and looked through the gossamer curtains at the rest of the room. Most of the other girls were already awake; most of them had fallen asleep earlier, too. The waterbender in Katara liked staying up long after the sun had sunk into the horizon and staying in bed until the sun was high in the sky.

"Good morning," she said as she walked into the parlor room, tying the loose silk belt of her dressing robe.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Onji said, sitting at the breakfast table in the parlor room, sipping her tea, She had clearly been awake for a while. Her hair and makeup were impeccably done, she was dressed in a pale pink skirt and shirt with flower detailing.

"Good morning, Katara," Rin said. She, too, looked like she had awoken hours before.

The other three girls in our room, whom Katara had not met yet, also sat at the breakfast table, completely ready for the day. The roommates looked very similar; their long, straight black hair, tall slim builds, and even their facial features seemed to all be from a similar mold. They were all terribly beautiful.

"So you're Katara," One of them, who Katara immediately recognized as the leader, said, looking Katara up and down. Katara nodded, smiled, and smoothly sat down at the breakfast table.

"You're half water tribe?" A girl with hair parted severely down the middle and wide, curious eyes asked her.

"Yes," She said, her thoughts more on the rice, soup, and vegetables in front of her. She had half expected to be served peacock-quail eggs and shark-fin soup for breakfast. They were in the palace, after all. This simple breakfast was far more to her liking, much closer to what she was used to.

"I'm Xi Hue," the first girl said. She flipped her hair over her shoulders. "I'm the highest-ranked in this room, so remember to treat me with respect."

"Of course," she said drily. Amused, Katara looked at Rin and Onji, who were both hiding giggles, Rin far more successfully than Onji, who was trying to hide behind her teacup and ended up blowing bubbles in the liquid. "But what makes you higher ranked than the rest of us?" Katara asked.

"I've spent time alone with the Emperor!" She boasted. Katara's heart sank. From everything she had heard, your rank was based on how much the Emperor liked you. Katara needed to be highly ranked, but she didn't want the Emperor to like her.

"This is Ji Ae," Xi Hue said, motioning to the girl with the massive eyes, "And this is Ghost." She waved her hand dismissively towards the third girl, who was so quiet I had barely noticed her.

"Ghost?" I asked, a little perturbed by the nickname.

"Ghost never talks," Xi Hue said around a mouthful of cabbage. "I've never heard her say a single word."

"We think that there must be something wrong with her," Ji Ae said, her big eyes widening even more with excitement.

"She's so pale, and she never talks, so she's like a Ghost!" Xi Hue exclaimed, as if she had said something astounding.

Honestly, the name fit the girl. Katara hated to admit it, but the girl was so forgetful, it was like she was invisible.

Katara finished her breakfast as soon as she could and rushed back into her room to get ready. After carefully and quickly tying the front bits of her hair back into a topknot and applying the barest traces of makeup, she threw on some flowing, comfortable robes and delicate, comfortable shoes.

"Katara, do you want to go for a walk?" Rin said, poking her head around the edge of the curtains.

"Yeah, I'll be there in just a minute." A few quick adjustments later, and they were ready to go.

The three girls spent the entire day wandering around the palace. Although they were not allowed to leave the harem section of the Imperial City, the harem was large enough that it was going to take them longer than a day for them to fully explore. They poked their heads into every single room they could, and saw everything from music rooms filled with every instrument you could possibly imagine, to busy laundry rooms filled with steam and silk. There were countless courtyards and gardens, and even more sparring and physical training rooms.

"There aren't very many rooms meant for practicing with weapons, are there," Katara thought aloud, after they saw their fourth bending arena.

"Of course not," Rin snorted, running the tips of her fingers along the designs on the walls. "Benders are the best fighters. Non-benders would never be able to keep up with them, so why bother?"

"Do they even have any weapons training rooms?" Onji asked. "Even though I don't really like fighting, it is relaxing to spar or practice my bending every occasionally. I'd think that they would at least have a few rooms for non-benders."

"I think that they have one room," Rin said. "With knives and swords and arrows and things."

"I should find that," Katara murmured. "Even if I'm not very good, you're right that it is relaxing to practice combat. Plus, my father would probably like me to at least try to keep up with my training."

"Your father is a famous swords master, isn't he?" Rin asked. Katara nodded. "I bet he'd be interesting to meet. After all, it's not that often that you meet a non-bender who's made such a name for himself. He's trained lots of famous people, hasn't he?"

"Yeah. He trained Prince Zuko years ago, when he was like twelve." Katara brushed her hand across the top of a windowsill. No dust. How did they keep up with this place?

"Really? Prince Zuko knows how to swordfight? I wouldn't have pegged him to be that kind of person," Rin surmised.

"I think it was his uncle's idea."

"I don't think Prince Zuko is the kind of person who you can fit into a box," Onji said. "I mean, first he was banished in dishonor, and then when he killed the Avatar and earned the right to come home, he didn't. He's still fighting on the front lines, four years later, and he's shown no signs of wanting to return. He hasn't come home even once! Six years is a long time to be fighting a war, even if you have been banished for two of them."

"I love hearing the stories about him," Rin sighed. "If I'd had the opportunity, I would've tried to become Prince Zuko's wife, not the Emperor's. He just sounds so heroic and brave. I'd bet he's handsome, too, even if he does have that scar."

"I bet he's ugly," Katara teased her. "He's probably tried to grow some awful, patchy beard. I bet he's shaved all his hair off, and hasn't grown the whole time he's been banished."

"He couldn't be ugly! Not with parents like his," Rin defended him.

"Empress Ursa is beautiful," Katara admitted. "She seems kind too, but also very sad. I wonder why she chose not to have any more children."

Rin and Onji gave Katara funny looks. "You don't know?" Onji said, sounding astounded.

"Know what?"

"Emperor Ozai chose only to have two children. He decided that he wanted to have more control over which child would be his heir and when they would succeed him, so after Lady Kaze had Princess Azula, he chose not to have any more children. None of the Imperial wives are allowed children."

"None of them? But how is that possible?" Katara said, shocked at the information she was hearing.

"Herbs, mostly," Rin said, as if she knew all about this subject. "If you become pregnant, then you're given two choices: kill the baby, or kill yourself."

"What?" Katara nearly shouted. "Ugh, that's sick!"

"I'm surprised you know so little about this," Onji remarked. "Most of the girls know this information long before they come here. They have to resign themselves to lives of childlessness."

"My decision to come here was very… sudden." She snorted internally. She'd barely convinced her father the night before she'd come to the palace. "Plus, my mother wasn't around to teach me a lot of these things. She died when I was seven."

"Oh, Katara, I'm so sorry," Onji said, squeezing Katara's arm gently.

"Don't be. It was years ago," She brushed off her friend's concern with a smile. "Tell me, why did Ozai feel he needed to only have two kids?"

"I think he felt that he could control his succession more easily if he had fewer children. Fewer children means fewer power struggles, both within the harem and within the court, and fewer power struggles means fewer coups. Fewer coups means that Emperor Ozai will get to reign for as long as he wants."

"I suppose that makes sense," Katara admitted, "Considering how he came to power."

"I hope Prince Zuko doesn't need to stage a coup to be able to ascend the throne. It would put such a stain on his reputation," Onji sighed.

"Oh, Onji! Don't tell me that you're in love with Prince Zuko, too!" Katara said in mock horror.

"Stop it, you!" Both Onji and Rin reached out and whacked Katara on either arm.

"Ow!"

"You deserved that," Rin declared.

"Come on," Katara said, deciding to ignore the comment, "let's go find the library!"

As they wandered through the halls, mocking and giggling at every single portrait and tapestry they saw, they came across a long, dark hallway, with no windows, only lit by torches that lined the walls. The ceilings were much taller in this hallway, and the few doors along it were massive and ornate. Covering every spare inch of wall space were tapestries.

The three girls peered down the dark hallway. Although the hallway was dark, the trio were overcome with curiosity, and carefully, quietly tiptoed down to inspect the corridor.

"It's all the former fire lords," Katara realized. Inspecting only the first two had revealed that much, and the wall of red and gold-clad, white-haired men only seemed to back up her theories.

Much more somberly than before, Onji, Rin, and Katara tiptoed past the centuries of monarchs as quietly as possible, as if making too much noise would stir the spirits of the rulers. They barely spoke, and then only in whispers to point out certain famous fire lords.

At the very center of the hallway, there was an alcove with a few benches, across from which stood the grandest tapestry of them all: Emperor Ozai's.

The Emperor stood tall, wreathed in golden flames that matched his cold, fierce eyes. The crown he wore on his head was larger than the ones his predecessors wore. Fitting, as he was the first and only Emperor of the Fire Nation. He was depicted with bloody scenes of war in the background, the Fire Nation armies clearly crushing the other nations. Beneath his feet were mountains and rivers and clouds, and above his head flew a dragon, with a flying bison and a mole badger in its claws and the moon grasped tightly in its teeth.

Katara got goosebumps when she looked at it.

"Do you think the Emperor will summon us any time soon?" Onji asked suddenly.

A beat.

"Probably not," Rin said. "But nothing is impossible."

"I don't want to be summoned by him. Not for a while, at least," Onji said, worry creeping into her voice.

Katara didn't know how to console her. She was facing the same fears herself. How could she tell her that everything was going to be fine when she had absolutely no idea?

Katara grasped her hand tightly, and hoped that she understood everything that she couldn't put to words.

Rin took her other hand, and they stood, looking at this terrifying portrait of the husband that none of them had ever met.

* * *

"Onji! Rin! We have to get going or we'll be late," Katara shouted, standing by the door, arms crossed, watching her friends rush around within the gossamer curtains that separated their living spaces from the rest of our room.

"We're coming, Katara!" Onji shouted back. "But we have to look perfect first!"

"We don't want to give the Consorts a bad impression," Rin called over to Katara.

"If we're late, we're going to give them an even worse one!"

"Okay," Rin said, stepping out of her "room." "I'm ready."

"Me too!" Onji said, tripping out of her room, simultaneously shoving shoes on her feet and doing up the last few buttons on her dress.

"Then let's go," Katara said, and the three girls swished out of their room.

"What" Onji said, still hopping along, trying to get her shoe on without stopping, "do you think the Consorts' announcement is?"

"Maybe they've changed their minds and decided that we're all too silly to be Imperial wives." Katara suggested.

Rin glared at her. "They would have told us that after you were caught knee-deep in the garden pond trying to catch goldfish two weeks ago. It has to be something else."

"What if- Oof!" They pulled to a stop as Onji, who was still trying to pull her shoes on, tripped and fell to the ground in a heap of red robes.

"You silly," Katara said, pulling the girl to her feet and kneeling down to tie the shoes. "You should do this _before_ we leave."

"But we were late," Onji protested.

"That doesn't mean that you should hurt yourself." Katara straightened Onji's robes.

They rushed the rest of the way, nothing else interfering with their harried pace. Quickly checking one another over first, they pushed open the doors and slipped into the room. Most of the other lower-ranked Imperial wives were there, but they were not the last. Katara's bossiness had paid off.

They walked past the other girls and slipped into the few remaining spots. Katara sat right next to Xi Hue, who sniffed and scooched away. Xi Hue, who had always been doubtful of Katara because of her background, had decided that Katara was of the worst sort of girl, because she had been "disrespectful" on multiple occasions, correcting Xi Hue when she was wrong about something. She had determined to avoid Katara at all costs, which was quite amusing most of the time, especially when she tried to be subtle about leaving the room faster than a chicken-gecko with its head cut off.

The other girls rushed into the room, took their seats, and a few minutes later, the Imperial Consorts glided into the room. They took their seats, and after they were settled, Lady Kaze lifted her chin and spoke.

"As you all know, Emperor Ozai will be hosting a celebration for the summer solstice with the harem, as he does every year. As per the usual, to let the lower-ranked imperial wives have their chance to shine, you will be performing a dance for the Emperor."

Katara's heart skipped a beat. A celebration! Perhaps her opportunity to complete her mission had come earlier than she'd expected. Murmurings broke out among the wives, but were soon silenced by a glare from Lady Kaze.

"We have chosen the dance "The Great Comet," for you to dance. This is a difficult, fierce war dance, depicting both Fire Lord Sozin's conquering of the savage Air Nomads and Emperor Ozai's great strides towards peace, both of which used the immense power of Sozin's Comet."

Katara's insides turned at the mention of the dance. She knew of it, and had seen it performed once before. It was a beautiful dance, but the slaughter it stood for chilled her to the bone. To have to portray those genocides as glorious victories made her want to be sick, and yet she doubted she would be able to get out of this. She couldn't be noticed as missing if the plan went wrong.

"You will start learning the dance today. We expect you to learn it quickly and to be ready for performance in two weeks. We wish you the best of luck." Lady Kaze stood, Lady Jihyun and Lady Ming mimicking her, and swished out of the room.

The instant they left the room, the girls exploded in a flurry of excitement. Rin and Onji both shot to their feet, grabbing onto one another and squealing. Katara stayed seated, her thoughts whirling, various plans forming and being rejected within her head.

"Not very excited, are you?" A voice next to Katara said. She looked up and saw a eunuch standing next to her in fine clothes, looking at the chaos of the room amusedly.

"I can't dance," She said. It wasn't a lie. "I fear that I'm going to make a fool of myself."

Katara, although her father had ensured that she had all the education in politics and finance and history and literature that she could ever want, had forgotten about many of the more delicate parts of education that noble families usually added to their daughters' educations. She had never been instructed how to paint, or play an instrument, or dance. The only thing she could do that was even close to the "fine feminine arts" was sewing, and even that she only knew how to sew in the Water Tribe style.

"Well, that's an issue," The eunuch remarked dryly. "Why don't you give it a go, at least, and if you are as terrible as you seem to think you are, then we'll figure something out."

Relief flooded Katara. "Thank you," she said earnestly. The eunuch nodded in return.

"My pleasure. Now, if you'll excuse me," he said, walking away as he finished his sentence. He went to the front of the room and cleared his throat.

"Ladies? Ladies, if I could have your attention please?" The girls closest to him quieted down, but those still further away hadn't heard him. The eunuch rolled his eyes, walked over to a large gong on the side of the room, and kicked it with his foot. The loud bang made all those who weren't paying attention nearly jump out of their skin. Quickly, they turned and saw the eunuch at the front of the room and silenced themselves.

"Thank you," He said. "My name is Fang. I will be teaching you this dance. If you wouldn't mind, please stand in a few lines in front of me."

The girls all shuffled into position, and Fang began teaching the dance. He went slowly, bit by bit, walking around the room and correcting them as he went. Katara was grateful that he was going so slowly for her sake, but she felt a little bit offended. Did he think Katara was so stupid that he had to go at a snail's pace? And he only barely corrected her, just stretching her fingers out and angling her arm differently; was I that hopeless? Even if she didn't want to do it, and wasn't nearly trying as hard as she could, he should be trying to make her better.

Two, then three hours passed, with only short breaks for tea and water. Katara was sweating a bit, but only barely. The other girls moan ed and groaned a bit, about the difficulty of the dance, or about the heat of the day, but they all seemed determined enough that they really didn't mind.

By the end of the day, they had learned the entire dance.

"Well done, ladies. Get a good night's rest, and be back and ready for more early tomorrow morning."

Rin, Onji and I raced back to our room as quickly as possible, not even speaking, just trying to get to the bath before Xi Hue and her friends. Xi Hue got to the room just after we did, and the annoyance on her face to have to wait to bathe until we were done was wonderful. It wasn't that we were stopping her from joining us in the bath, she just simply wouldn't allow herself into the bath with me.

"That dance is so difficult," Onji moaned, head back, eyes closed, and hair floating in a dark halo around her head. "I'm never going to be able to remember it all."

"Really," Katara said, surprised. "I felt like he was going really slowly."

"Well, you were doing brilliantly. Honestly, I can't believe you've never danced before," Onji complained. "It's not so easy for the rest of us."

"I'm so sore, I'm going to go to bed and stay in bed for the next three weeks!" Rin declared, swirling the water with her arm.

"You'll miss the performance," Katara teased. "Don't you want to meet the Fire Lord?"

"Well, I'll have to get out of bed for that, at least," Rin said. "But I'm wearing my pajamas!"

Our giggles echoed around the bathroom, and for the time being, the reality of meeting the Fire Lord seemed much farther away.

* * *

The next morning, they went back to rehearsal. They would dance all day, and then would be released in the evening to go nurse their aching muscles. The next day was a repeat. And the day after. And the day after that. For two weeks, the Imperial Wives lived and breathed the dance, yearning for the day of the summer solstice celebration.

And during all that time, the only time Katara had to plan her mission was in the dark of her own bed, half asleep.

After much deliberation, she decided that she would slip a light poison into the Emperor's wine- just enough to make him ill and leave the feast. By the time the dance had finished, he would be sick enough to leave the feast. Katara would then slip out, let the rebels into the palace through a rarely-used servants' entrance, and then eliminate the Emperor.

Simple.

Of course, that was if everything went according to plan. That was if nobody could detect the poison in the wine, if the rebels were there in time, if Katara wasn't caught, if the Emperor actually went where she thought he would- only if everything went perfectly would this plan work. And there were a thousand things that could go wrong.

But how else would she be able to complete her mission? This was an opportunity, a sign from the spirits that this was what was meant to happen. She couldn't pass this up.

A week before the summer solstice celebration, Katara wrote to her father. She wrote cryptically, in the code they had pre-set before she had left, just in case the letter-hawk was intercepted.

In the dark of night, Katara sent off the letter.

She knew her father would carry through on his end of the plan. Now, she just had to do everything she could to make sure that this went perfectly.

 **A.N.**

 **Thank you so much to all of you who have favorited and followed this story! Plus, a huge shout-out to all you guys who reviewed! It is super encouraging. Your responses have been insane! I never would have expected that you guys would like it so much. It is overwhelming and I am extremely grateful.**

 **Please be patient with me and my updates. I am working on the story, but I want to make it all just right, and I'm trying to add a lot to each chapter. Also, I've just started my senior year. I've got a lot of other workload, extracurriculars, and just life in general getting in my way. I'll do my best to update as frequently as possible. If I do not update for a while, feel free to shoot me a message just to remind me!**

 **I feel like I should mention some things about my interpretation of the Avatar universe. I am not taking anything away from the main plot line, nor am I drastically changing anything too much. I have chosen to have the Fire Nation in a position of much more wealth and power, and have decided to make them be in control of far more of the world than they ever got in the show. It is an AU, so there will be deviances from the canon, but I want to make it seem all like things that could have actually happened, should things have gone differently.**

 **My version of the Avatar world is heavily influenced by a) Japanese culture, which I am most familiar with out of all Asian cultures, as it is my own culture, and b) what I have seen from the Chinese historical drama** ** _The Empress of China_** **. However, the cultures portrayed in Avatar are only** ** _inspired_** **by Asian cultures, not actual representations of them. Please take that into account as you read this.**

 **There will be a lot of OCs in this story, merely because there are not enough pre-existing characters in the Avatar universe that could be easily inserted into my storyline. Thus, most of the Fire Nation nobles and harem girls we will encounter in this story are of my own invention. Onji is an original character from ATLA, but she was only featured in one episode. Most of the OCs will not be playing a major part in the overall storyline, other than to add some meat to the bare bones of the plot.**

 **Again, thank you all so much for your continued love and support of this story. I will do my best to update as soon as I can.**

 **Please remember to review the story! I love seeing what you guys have to say about what I've written, and I love getting constructive criticism! I'll try to reply to all your comments, even if it is just to say thanks!**

 **PS- to the guest reviewer on the last chapter- *wink wink***

 **XOXOXOXO**


	3. Chapter 3

**PLEASE NOTE: There is a scene where, although it is not at all explicit in any way, some non-consensual sex takes place. Please note that this is necessary to the storyline, otherwise it would not be included in the story at all. Thank you.**

The morning of the summer solstice dawned stiflingly hot and humid. Instead of awaking to the usual casual conversations and clinking of china coming from the parlor room, Katara woke tensely as the others stirred in their beds. That morning, although it was like every other she had spent in the palace so far, felt… strange.

To relieve some of the tension, or perhaps just to gain a sense of normality, Katara sat down at her vanity table and began combing her long hair out. The robotic motions, the stillness of the room, and the heat did little to change the odd feeling of the day, but it calmed her nerves enough that she felt ready to start it.

Although that evening's feast with the Emperor was the most important event of the day, there were festivities that whole day. The Fire Sages were leading a parade through the whole city that ended with a ceremony at the Fire Temple. A special festival, with dancing, merchants, and games was taking place in the main bazaar all day, and there were to be fireworks that evening.

The Imperial Wives were all in a flurry, for they were being allowed to go out into the city for an entire hour, after they paid their respects at the Temple. To think of all the beautiful things that they could buy! All of them were adorning themselves in beautiful, festive-looking clothes of silk, covered in gold and embellishments. They, when assembled in the main courtyard, looked like a flock of red and gold peacocks.

Katara thought it all a bit silly. The day was stiflingly hot, and it was only going to get hotter; they might look lovely, but they were all going to be miserable later.

Katara had instead chosen lighter, slightly less formal wear. Loose, flowy robes that showed her bare arms and legs through the slits in the skirt and sleeves. Her thick hair had been completely tied back. Whatever the day brought, Katara felt ready enough for it.

The herd of Imperial Wife-Peacocks tottered out into the chariots prepared for them. They piled into them, and the covered, gilt carriages groaned out the palace doors. Far in the distance, a huge, entirely gold, sedan chair flanked by two slightly smaller gold chairs led the pack in their approach through the city streets to the Fire Temple.

"I've missed the city," Onji sighed, watching the cheering crowds through the gaps in the carriage walls. "I can't wait until we get to go shopping!"

"Well, I don't miss the walking, at least" Rin said. "I've rubbed my feet raw walking around this city before!"

"That definitely is something I don't miss," Katara agreed.

They arrived at the Temple among cheers and shouts from the surrounding crowds. The servants hustled the trio out and moved them into their positions. The Wives were to sit on a plateau above the crowd, but below where the Emperor, Empress, and the Princess Azula sat near the temple.

The very moment the Imperial Wives were settled, the Fire Sages lit the torches and began the ceremony. The fire flared, the smoke swirled, and the heavy stench of incense filled the air.

The ceremony seemed to last ages. There was the telling of fortunes for the nation, then the sacrifice of incense and the first fruits of the season. In between the burning of the first fire lily bloom and the first egg laid by a lizard-chicken, Katara managed to wiggle her feet out from underneath herself and bring some feeling back into them.

It was a relief when the Sages finished the ceremony in a huge burst of flame, cheers coming from the crowd. All bowed, faces to the ground, as the Imperial Family descended the stairs and re-entered their carriages. The moment they were whisked away to the palace, the girls shot up, found their friends, and rushed off to find the best ways to spend their money.

"So, what do you girls want to do?" Rin asked. "We've got an hour."

"I want to look at everything!" Onji declared, and began shoving her way through the crowd. Rin and Katara shared a look, then laughingly pushed their way through after her.

They stopped and saw fire jugglers, dancing girls in elaborate headdresses, and everything someone would want to purchase. Three vendors and four purchases later, the trio stopped at a store that was selling silks and cloth. Onji and Rin sighed over a terribly expensive bolt of silk with a fire-lily pattern, and Katara wandered through the rows and rows of cloth. She trailed her finger along the ends of the fabric sticking out, tracing the threads of cranes, flowers, flames, and stars. They were all so pretty, Katara doubted she would ever be able to find the one she liked best.

"Oh!" Katara said in surprise as she collided with someone else, nearly falling over. A quick hand grabbed her shoulder and steadied her.

"Sorry, miss," a solidly built man said, smiling and making sure that she was steady before releasing her.

"Quite alright," Katara said cheerfully. "No harm done,"

"That's good," he said, "because your father asked me to keep you safe, not hurt you."

Katara stiffened. Glancing over her shoulders, she dragged him to a more hidden spot behind a shelf.

"My father sent you?" Katara demanded, staying close to him and keeping her angry words to a low tone. "Did he want you to check up on me? Because I don't need to be watched over like a child."

"Your father," the man said, trying to soothe her with his words, "wanted to make sure that we went over the details of the plan before tonight."

"I put everything in the letter," she insisted. "You and your men will wait at the south servants' entrance for me. When I come for you, you will take control of the government and its officials while I take care of the Emperor. Your part is simple."

"Your father also wanted us to ask if you wouldn't reconsider allowing us to take care of the dirty work. Just having you on the inside is enough for the plan to work, who does the deed isn't really that important."

"It may not be important to you," Katara hissed, affronted at his words, "but it matters to me." She whirled around to face a rack of crimson fabrics. "I will take care of the Emperor. Besides, it's not like I'll be strangling him. Poison is far less messy, and much harder to trace should things go wrong." She said over my shoulder, breathing evenly.

"Miss Katara, I feel like I should be blunt with you." _Like you haven't been already?_ She silently snarked. "We do not feel like this plan will succeed. There are too many variables, too many things that could go wrong. What if the poison doesn't take? What if we are caught before we can secure the government? What if-"

"What if?" Katara hissed, and whirled back to face him. " _What if_ tomorrow the Emperor decides to burn down the entire Earth Kingdom? _What if_ he decides to execute all foreign prisoners? _What if_ he gets tired of waiting for this stupid war to be over? There are many "What if's," but that doesn't mean that we should hide from this."

"You, Miss Katara, are the closest agent we have to the Emperor. If you are caught, our only chance to win this war peacefully will be over. But if you take your time, like your father wanted you to, and get even closer to the Emperor, feed us information, and have a much better position to be alone with the _monster,_ " he spat, "then we might have a real chance!"

"You are forgetting what it will cost if we wait." Katara said coldly. "We will go through with this plan. We will succeed. This war will end tonight."

Without another word, Katara turned on her heel and stormed off.

"Katara, look!" Onji cried from the front of the store, where she and Rin were wrapped in swaths of black, gold, and red cloth, twirling and giggling.

"We picked one out for you, too!" Rin said, holding up a rather lovely burgundy satin.

"We're leaving," Katara practically growled. The other two shared alarmed looks, quickly shoved coins into the hand of the vendor, and dashed after her, still wrapped in the loose fabric.

"What happened?" Onji said. "Did you stub your toe? Because I know that I get grumpy whenever I- "

"I didn't stub my toe, and I don't want to talk about it," Katara snapped. Onji recoiled, and her face fell. Katara immediately regretted her harsh words.

"I'm sorry, Onji, I didn't mean to be such a grumpy-pants," she sighed, stopping and pulling the girls out of the foot traffic into the shade of a fruit vendor's stall. "There was just this really rude guy in the shop, and he ruined my day."

"It's okay," Onji said, a little smile coming back to her face.

"You still shouldn't lash out like that," Rin scolded.

"I guess it's just the stress of the day," Katara admitted. "Tonight is kinda freaking me out."

"Stress isn't good for your skin," Rin said thoughtfully. "Maybe we should head back to the palace and put on some face masks before tonight."

"Ooh!" Onji squeaked. "I just got this new clay mask we could try!"

Katara smiled. Their happy innocence was exactly what she needed. She allowed herself to be bundled up between them and their many purchases and hustled away, silent amongst their joyous, mindless chatter.

She didn't say thank you to them that day, but she felt like the laughter and smiles they shared said enough. They knew that what she needed was to be distracted, and so distract her they did. They covered each other with goo, played dress up in their new things, and ordered platter upon platter of the loveliest, most colorful fruits and sweets.

But soon, the time came for them to adorn themselves in that evening's garb. All those performing were to wear the same dress as all the others, so all the roommates donned the same fearsome-looking armor-like dresses. Their hair was intricately tied back, and they all powdered and perfumed themselves until a cloud hung in the rafters of the room.

The performers all gathered in the garden courtyard they were to perform in, separated from the banquet only by a curtain. The girls clustered together, silently trying to make out figures through the curtains, sipping tea and calming their nerves.

"Is my hair okay?" Rin worried, touching the loops of braids tied into a topknot.

"You look fine," Onji reassured her. "Better than Katara, at least."

"You do look rather pale, Katara," Rin said. "You should make sure to drink your tea."

Katara nodded, and gripped the warm porcelain even tighter. The tea was trembling within its tiny bowl, betraying the extent of her nerves. High emotions usually caused her bending to act up a little. She clenched her insides as tightly as possible and the tray of teapots off to the side stopped their clattering.

"Places, ladies!" Fang shouted, rushing through the group, waving his arms. Instantly, like a startled flock of pigeons, the Imperial Wives practically flung their teapots towards the servants and hustled to their spots. Insides twisting, Katara joined them.

Slowly, the noise from the other side of the curtain stopped. A single, lonesome horn wailed the beginning of the song, and the curtain was pulled aside.

It was impossible for Katara's eyes to not instantly be drawn to those sitting directly across from them. Draped in finery, surrounded by gold, rare delicacies, and flames, sat the Emperor.

Katara was so startled by seeing him from so close that she nearly forgot to start dancing. Thankfully, her arms moved reflexively to the music. She barely even needed to think about the dance, she knew it so well.

She studied the Emperor Ozai. He looked as cruel as she expected. There was no hint of kindness, no suppressed compassion within his eyes. They were cold golden orbs.

There was no denying that he was as handsome as the rumors had suggested. But it was a terrible kind of beauty, one that sent shivers down your spine and made the hair stick up on your arms and the back of your neck. He looked like the kind of man who would kill you without a moment's hesitation, then turn around and decide what he wanted for breakfast without batting an eye.

Katara hated him.

She didn't even need to get any closer. She knew that she hated him, and there was absolutely nothing that could change her mind. As she twisted and ducked and tensed her body through the movements of the dance, she knew that the only thing stopping her from charging him that very moment and strangling him was the assurance that the deed would be done soon, and far more smoothly than if she assaulted him.

Her gaze strayed from the Emperor to the Princess Azula, who sat at his right side, and the Empress Ursa, on his left. They were both stunning women, but it was easy to tell who Azula took after. She shared the same cold golden eyes and the cruel smirk, although many of her features were her mother's, as well. Empress Ursa was beautiful, but she looked like a koala-sheep among a family of dragons. She lived up to her reputation of looking like the loveliest, kindest woman in the world, but she sat stiffly, and her eyes seemed to be terribly sad.

Last of all, Katara looked at someone who seemed very insignificant: the servant at the edge of the royal table holding a pitcher of wine. The other servant, who usually poured the wine, had been mysteriously taken ill earlier that day, and the girl now clutching the heavy pitcher was a replacement. If that replacement just so happened to be sympathetic to the rebel cause, and if she just so happened to want the Emperor dead as well, then nobody else knew the wiser. None but Katara.

Carefully, she watched the Emperor, waiting for him to take a drink. His glass was still full, and the agreed-upon signal (a flower pot set on a pedestal in the back of the room) was not there. Why wasn't he drinking? Everybody drank at festivals, especially the Emperor! Right?

Katara's jaw clenched, and she wished that he would just drink the stupid wine, already. Aggressively, she launched herself into the next combination of movements. She didn't care if her raw emotions were sloshing things around a bit. It was impossible to always hold it in, anyways.

Just as they were coming to the most intense part of the dance, Katara ferociously spun, along with the others, whipped her arm out, then stretched it over and around her head. Something deep inside her tugged, she heard a roaring of water in her ears, and the small fish pond the dancers were surrounded by suddenly transformed into a massive wave.

Shouts came from the audience, and the dancers looked confusedly around to see what was wrong. When they caught sight of the wall of water bearing down on them, they screamed and scattered. Katara looked up, eyes widening, and then covered her head. The wave came crashing down with such force it nearly knocked her over.

Katara looked around. None of the other dancers had escaped the water, and they all looked rather pathetic now, their makeup running, hair and armor dripping. She was the only one who was left standing.

Silence rang through the banquet hall and the courtyard. The courtiers and the other Imperial Wives who had not danced looked on, shocked. Nothing like this had ever happened before, and nobody was quite sure how it had occurred or what to do after the event.

Slow, sharp claps pierced the silence, breaking the fragile stillness.

"I must say, that was a better performance than I have seen from this group in years."

Katara didn't dare turn to look at who the speaker was. For she already knew, and her worst nightmares were coming true.

"I am, however, rather surprised at the little twist at the end. I didn't even know that we allowed barbarians into the harem." Katara stiffened, but did nothing. "Come here, girl, and tell me your name."

Katara's feet felt as though they were both moving far too fast and terribly slowly at the same time. All she wanted to do was turn and run, but she made herself walk forward. Clothes squishing, she knelt and kowtowed before the Emperor, forehead pressing against the ground.

"I am Katara, your majesty. I am only half water tribe, and I have never set foot outside of the fire nation. I apologize for this incident."

"Tell me, Katara, do you think it is wise to be so undisciplined before your Emperor?" She could feel his eyes drilling into her- or was that Princess Azula's gaze?

"No, your majesty."

"Then why have you allowed such an incident to occur?"

"I- I have never been able to learn how to control my bending. For obvious reasons, I did not have access to a teacher, and what little control I have sometimes escapes me, usually at the most inopportune moments."

"Would you say during the middle of a performance of The Great Comet, a dance that commemorates the victory of my grandfather Fire Lord Sozin over the Airbenders and my conquering of Ba Sing Se, would count as inopportune?"

"Highly inopportune, your majesty."

"I suppose that I should punish you for ruining this performance for the others among you…" Katara's stomach froze. She had heard of the kind of punishments Emperor Ozai dealt out, and most of them began with the letter "D" and ended with "EATH."

"But I will be merciful to you, tonight. You have provided me with much amusement this evening." Katara breathed out a sigh of relief. "Guards, escort her to my chambers and ensure that she is attended to."

Those words, although at first Katara thought she had been lucky, drove a dagger through her heart. Ozai did not permit many people into his chambers. The only reason she was being allowed in there was clear: Ozai had decided to make her his companion for the night.

Carefully, Karara perched at the edge of a settee. She felt like, even though she had been bathed in rosewater, rubbed in scented oils, and dressed in the thinnest, lightest white nightgown and long silk dressing robe, she would be put to blame if there was anything wrong with the room.

The Emperor's chambers were… excessive. It felt as though the Emperor felt the need to intimidate everyone at every possible moment. His rooms, including a massive bathroom, private courtyard, closet, sitting room, office, and bedroom, were covered in ebony wood and gold accents, with weapons and fearsome battle scenes covering the walls, certainly had that effect.

Perhaps the most intimidating thing of it all was the complete lack of furniture and simple decorations. Aside from the settee, a small side table, the items on the walls, and the massive bed, there was absolutely nothing in the room. Nothing to distract from the massiveness of the room, or the chill that swept through it.

Katara shivered and began to wander the room, hoping the movement would keep her warm. She inspected the paintings on the walls closely, and when that was done, she carefully slipped into the sitting room and repeated the process.

There was more by the way of furniture in the sitting room. A few tables with knick-knacks lined the edge of the room, and there were three low-seated couches. Katara liked this room far better, even if the walls were lined with paintings of long-deceased members of the royal family. The sitting room felt less cold and empty, and far less like a prison than the other rooms she had seen. This room even had a window that looked out over the city! The dazzling lights of the fireworks over the city drew her closer to the glass.

Katara stopped short. _Of course!_ _The window!_ She raced over to it and looked down. The window was thirty feet off the ground, but there was nothing lying in the path of escape. If Katara managed to find a way out this window, then she would be able to escape from this nightmare of a prison! She wouldn't have to face the horror that awaited her tonight.

Quickly, she looked around for anything she could use to climb down. She refused to touch the bed, so the sheets and blankets were out, but there were a few long tapestries hanging throughout the suite that would do nicely. She dashed and tugged them down, all of them falling quite easily to the ground with a satisfying thud. As quickly as possible, she knotted them together to create a long rope and raced to the sitting room.

But as she wrapped the end of the makeshift rope around the leg of the couch, she heard the clicking of the door as the bedroom next door was unlocked, opened, and shut. Someone was coming! Heart pounding against her chest, she knotted the rope as tightly as possible, threw it out the window, and slung a leg over the windowsill.

Katara was still hanging halfway out the window as the door to the sitting room opened. Fearfully, she looked at the door, saw the familiar figure of a certain monarch opening it, and without a second thought, flung the other leg out the window and began scrabbling down the rope as quickly as she could.

At the rate she was going, she should have taken less than a minute to reach the ground. But when she looked down, it seemed like she was not even halfway there and not getting any closer! Someone from above was hoisting the rope up as she was sliding down, and they were winning.

She went faster than she ever thought she could, but before she could get a foot lower, the rope came to its end. She clutched the rope for dear life, looking longingly down at the ground, still so very far away. If she were to jump now, she might survive… right?

In her indecisive hesitation, she had been pulled up to the windowsill, and a hand had grasped her wrist. In a split second, she had been hauled over the edge. Exhausted, she fell forward and landed against a decidedly solid chest. Quickly, she shoved herself away and turned around, refusing to even look at him.

"In the future," Emperor Ozai said, letting the tapestry-rope fall to the floor, "Please refrain from destroying my wall hangings. Some of them are rather valuable."

Katara remained as still as possible. She did not dare say a word.

"I imagine you know why you are here. Thus, the dramatic escape attempt," he said rather nonchalantly.

"Yes," Katara whispered.

"Do not expect to be able to escape so easily. It may look like an unguarded window, but I assure you, there are archers and soldiers all with a clear sightline to kill you." Suddenly, he was very close behind her, lips touching her ear, his breath tickling her neck. "And believe me, they wouldn't care about killing you."

"Would you care," Katara said, barely breathing for fear of him, "If they were to kill me."

"I'll let you know later, after we've… gotten to know one another," he said, lips and then teeth closing around my earlobe. Her gut clenched, and Katara shuddered. All Katara wanted to do was run, vomit, hurt him- she didn't care! As long as Katara could get away from him.

The Emperor suddenly stepped away. I slumped over in relief.

"Come," he said, and walked through to the bedroom. The tone of his voice allowed for no argument, Katara obeyed.

He stopped, and so did Katara, three feet behind him. He turned around, and Katara became petrified the moment she met his gaze. His eyes had terrified her when they weren't looking at her. Now, the sole object of his focus, she felt like a sheep trying to defend itself from a dragon. A lot of good all her big talk had done her. She could barely stay coherent in his presence, let alone kill him. Any lingering thoughts she'd had about killing him now were long gone.

"Come closer," he said. His voice, rough and low, sounded like smoke and fear. Her feet automatically pulled her closer. She was only a step away from him now.

Without breaking eye contact, Emperor Ozai reached up and removed the pin from his crown, letting all his hair fall loose around his face. "Help me out of these robes."

Katara nodded, highly aware of what he was asking of her. She would do it willingly, if it kept her alive. What would happen if she didn't obey was what she truly was afraid of. She stretched out her hands, and with shaking fingers, peeled the first layer of his robes off. Then came the next layer and the next layer, then the over shirt. After all those mountains of clothing, he looked far less bulky, yet far more intimidating in only a thin white shirt and light pants.

Katara quickly turned to fold the pile of robes. It was best to keep herself busy. Perhaps then he wouldn't bother her.

"Your turn," a voice said in her ear as hands wrapped around her and began feeling both for the strings of the dressing gown and the shape of her body.

Katara could take a lot. She could withstand scrutiny, and manhandling, and ridiculous requests, but she would not just stand here and let this man- this _monster_ \- touch her in this way! She started to wiggle and try to squirm her way out of his grip, but he just held her tighter.

"Let go of me!" She growled, jabbing an elbow backwards into his stomach. With a grunt, he bent over and loosened his grip enough for her to slip away.

Katara dashed to the closest wall and grabbed one of the many swords that she had been eyeing fearfully only twenty minutes earlier. It pulled out of its holder with a satisfying scraping noise, but the minute she was the sole bearer of its weight, the end dropped to the ground like an anvil. She gritted her teeth, cursed the massive, badly made, badly balanced thing, and prepared to swing it full-force at her assaulter.

Ozai turned the full wrath of his gaze upon her, and she shrank beneath it. He stalked towards her, silently, slowly, and rather gracefully, much like a cat, waiting to pounce. Then, in a flash, he shot towards her. She shut her eyes and used all her strength to fling the sword through the air in an attempt to hit him. He saw the attack coming from miles away, though, and easily avoided it, allowing the sword to bury itself within the wall. Katara abandoned the sword and came at him, claws unfurled. He grabbed her wrists in one hand, swept her feet out from under her, and primed a fireball with his free hand.

Katara shut her eyes. She was ready for her fate. She had been very aware of the dangers coming into this mission, and she had never doubted her commitment or willingness once. Not even now.

But the hot embrace of death did not welcome her. Or, if it did, it was far less painful than she had expected. Yes, of course that was it. She was already dead. It had been very quick.

"You certainly do make life more interesting."

Now those were words you wouldn't expect to hear in the spirit world.

Katara cracked open her eyes and saw Ozai standing over her, flames dripping off his hand, slowly dying away.

"Now, come." This time, he did not give her even the dignity of walking to wherever he wanted her. This time, he clenched her wrists and dragged her along the floor. They reached the edge of the bed and he yanked her up.

Before she could make a move, he grabbed her by the roots of her hair, which had been braided and pinned up, and forced her to look him in the eye.

"Don't make this harder for yourself."

He flung her back onto the bed, crawled forward, and pinned her hands above her head.

Katara didn't sleep much that night. When she finally would be allowed to slip into a restless slumber, she would be awoken by her bed partner again, and the nightmare would begin again.

Finally, when it felt like the night and its horrors would never end, Ozai fell asleep beside her. She curled on her side, and let her quiet sobs rock her to sleep.

That was the first night where she prayed, to whatever spirit was listening, for death to come in the night.

 **Tbh writing that last bit was odd. I'm a Christian, so the only reason that last scene was included at all is because I felt it was essential to the story. But that is about as intense of a sex scene (consensual or otherwise) you are going to get! Let me know what you think- if it was too much or too little or whatever.**

 **Thank you to all my dear readers, reviewers, and those who favorited or followed my story! You guys are amazing!**

 **Also, I have gotten a beta! Cheers to the wonderful ML8991! I'm really happy to have someone now who I can bounce ideas off of, can filter through my thoughts and make them coherent, and just keep me accountable.**

 **To all those who reviewed anonymously with questions or detailed comments, I will reply here!**

 **iPod user: Interesting idea! I actually forgot about ghost myself (lol). I hadn't been planning on anything, but maybe now I will do something with her... We will see!**

 **And to all of you asking "WHEN WILL ZUKO BE INTRODUCED?": He will come in time. I actually had planned at first for him not to be introduced for quite a few more chapters, but I came up with a new plan that might change things a little. Zuko's major involvement in the story will not be for a little while, though.**

 **Also, I wanted to see what you all thought about giving Azula a love interest... I'm not sure it I actually will, but there is a possibility. PM me or say in the reviews who you think she should get together with!**

 **Again, thanks again for your continued love and support! I will work as hard as I can and get you your new chapter as soon as possible!**


	4. Chapter 4

Katara's mother had been dying when she entered womanhood. Even though the woman was bedridden, she had been insistent that she be the one to teach her daughter these important things.

"I don't need to walk to teach my daughter the most important things of her life," she would scold. "She should learn it from me, not from any servants, and certainly not from you, Piandao."

"Mom!" Katara moaned, her entire face turning red.

"This is perfectly natural, dear. You don't need to be embarrassed about it!"

So, after shooing a terribly awkward Piandao, the two sat in Kya's bedroom, Kya very calm and amused, Katara fidgeting and awkward, and spoke of things that a mother passes down to her daughter.

"You should know, Katara," her mother said, very patiently, "That this is a beautiful subject. You will not understand for a long time, but after your wedding night, you will truly become a woman."

"What does that even mean?" Katara mumbled hotly.

"When I married your father, I was terrified. I didn't know what to do! But the next day, it was like a light had gone on over my head. I walked like a woman walks, I did not feel nearly so embarrassed when my mother's friends would tease me as we worked… It was wonderful." She sighed. "I hope it is the same for you."

Katara did not think that her life, and certainly not her wedding night, had turned out the way her mother had thought it would.

The morning after the fateful night with the Emperor, Katara certainly felt different, although in what way, she couldn't tell. Her entire body felt like it was aching _everywhere,_ and the moment she woke up, all she wished for was to fall back asleep and never wake up again.

After cleaning herself of the blood and stickiness, she was given the true imperial treatment, by which that meant that she was bathed in rose water, covered in oils and lotions, and groomed and gilded until she truly looked like she belonged not just to the harem, but to the Emperor. If, when still outside of the palace, she had seen someone who looked like she did in that moment, she would have been utterly convinced that she was the Empress.

Walking back to her rooms had been an adventure, as well. Just in case she might have forgotten her way through the building that had become her home over the past few months, she had been granted 8 servants of varying ranks to trail behind her. Either that, or it was to ensure that the other wives did not attack her.

The looks she garnered from her peers were… interesting, to say the least. The most attention she had gotten before were scathing looks and hushed whispers as she passed by. But now, these lofty women looked at her with envy and respect in her eyes. Katara wanted to shout at them to regain their senses. The Emperor was merely a man! How could a snippet of his attention- attention that she never wanted she mentally noted- change their opinions of her so drastically? She had done nothing to gain their respect, and she certainly didn't appreciate it now.

Rin and On-ji welcomed her back with open arms and worrying eyes. Whispered questions about her health, were brushed aside with smiles and laughter, for really, who could answer truthfully about consenting to a situation like this?

And so, when her day of being the Empress had ended, she removed the clothes, the jewelry, and the thousands of hairpins and instead became the little girl who sat red-faced and fidgeting by her mother's bedside as they spoke of unspeakable things.

That night, the little girl cried.

The next day, the little girl woke again, brushed her hair into a simple braid, put on her training clothes, and went to the weapons room to destroy some mannequins. The looks she had received when covered in gold and silks faded away, and Katara wondered if those women really ever thought about her again. That day that had been so significant in her life, her first day as a real woman, was just a typical Monday to them. What did it matter?

But the next day was the same, and the next, and the one after that day. She would wake, train with her swords, plot her revenge, drink her tea, and pretend to know how to paint, and then she would go back to bed.

It was the Tuesday of the following week that her life changed again.

The day had already ended. She had eaten dinner with On-ji and Rin, their roommates declining as, "Eating food after the sun has set is said to cause weight gain." Just as they were finishing their bath, skin still flushed from the warm water and hair causing dark moisture spots on their nightgowns, there was an ominous knock on the door. Exchanging confused glances, Rin went and opened the door a crack, Katara and On-ji trailing behind.

"Yes?" Rin asked, then stopped. She opened the door wider. On the other side was a well-dressed eunuch, with at least ten servants and a paladin chair behind him.

"The Emperor," He said, bowing deeply from the waist, "requests the presence of Lady Katara for this evening."

Katara went white. She had begun to think that since there had been no word for over a week she was in the clear and he had forgotten about her. How foolish was she to let her guard down so easily?

"I- I'm not ready, I should change, and do my hair-" She stuttered, anything to gain herself some time to compose herself.

"Please just put on a robe and follow us," the eunuch said, smiling in an almost sickly-sweet manner and grandly gesturing with his hand.

Katara grabbed On-ji and Rin, turned around, and dragged them away. "What do I do?" She hissed frantically.

"Umm…" On-ji said, "Put on your robe? The blue one, not the green one. You look really pretty in blue."

"Just breathe," said Rin. "You'll be fine."

She was not fine.

However, she bolstered her courage, wrapped herself in the blue robe, and hoped that the Emperor had already fallen asleep.

He had not fallen asleep.

She entered his chambers and found the Emperor standing and looking out the window that she had tried to climb out of on her previous visit.

"Have you recovered?" He asked, not looking at her.

"Yes?" She answered, her voice small.

"Good. The first time can be rough, and I did not go easy on you." He turned and fixed his eyes on her.

Katara felt like all the air had left her lungs. There were often stories told children about the Imperial family- or, as they were when she was a child, simply the Royal family. They would say that they had been given the right to rule by the dragons themselves. As a sign of this power they held, those with the right to the throne would have the strength, wisdom, and sight of a dragon. It was said that if you looked into their eyes, you could sometimes see the dragon within them.

She hadn't put much stock in that story, but in this moment, she felt like she was facing down a dragon. Did he know about her connections with the rebel forces? Did he learn that she wasn't Piandao's daughter? Had he just decided to kill her, for the fun of it?

"I would like to make a deal with you," he said.

Those were not exactly the words she had been expecting, but they certainly were not completely unwelcome.

"I like you. Quite a bit." Emperor Ozai began circling her, his dragon eyes trained on her. "You're different from most of the other little girls they pick out for me. You're strong. Stubborn, too. You seem like you could hold your own in a fight."

"Thank you, your Majesty," Katara murmured cautiously.

"I grow tired of women who literally seem to just… warm my bed. I want something different, something exciting." He was behind her now, whispering in her ear, sending shivers down her spine and hot flushes to her cheeks.

"And you think that I could be… exciting? Your majesty, considering how last time went, I wouldn't put that much faith in me."

"Last time," He said, moving far away from her very suddenly and very quickly, "you tried to run from me. You tried to pull a _weapon_ on me." Ozai sat in an armchair and gave her a sly smirk. "There may be hundreds of women in my harem, but I have never had something like _that_ occur in the bedroom."

"I wouldn't know where to start," Katara pleaded.

"I could teach you," He said matter-of-factly. "Trust me, it's only uphill from your first go."

"You mentioned a deal," She said, changing the subject, perhaps to spare her face from completely burning up.

"Yes. You give me what I want, and I give you what you want. Simple. I want excitement." The Emperor cocked his head. "What do you want, Katara?"

"I want many things," She said. "None of them are things you would be able to give me."

"Really? Not position? Wealth? I could set your father up quite nicely with a title. You could become a respected member of the harem."

"My father does not need nor desire wealth or title, and neither do I," Katara said firmly.

"What about this?" he said, picking up a scroll from a side table and held it out for her to take. She hesitantly took it, then her eyes widened as she rolled it open.

"These-these are waterbending scrolls!" Excitement filled her voice, eyes devouring every image on the page.

"There are nearly a hundred more scrolls like this one, taken from the Southern Water Tribe during the early days of the war. If you accept this deal, I would allow you free reign to use these scrolls and to practice that which is contained within them. Not only that, but I might eventually consider finding a waterbending master among the prisoners."

Katara was speechless. Words could not ever explain the way this made her feel.

"I- I don't know what to say." She said.

Ozai stood and walked closer to her. When he was unbearably close, he firmly took her face in his hand and had her look at him. "Say yes, and I shall give you everything you shall ever desire."

"Everything?"

When Katara left the next morning, she had in hand a tattered scroll.

LINE BREAK LINE BREAK LINE BREAK

Katara's world had, quite literally, changed overnight. Her things had been moved from her room to a new suite of chambers with its own private courtyard that had a small pond in it. The immense closet, already far larger than the small wardrobe she had been using previously, had been filled to the bursting with clothes of far finer fabrics, patterns, and designs. Her chambers were filled with lovely things that she was almost afraid to touch.

It made her wonder how far ahead he had thought about this. Clearly, he had at least thought far enough to have an entire wardrobe made for her. He must have been extremely confident that she would accept.

On-ji and Rin burst in unannounced a few hours later. They looked rather disheveled, as if they had run the entire way here.

"Katara!" On-ji cried, choking a little on her words. "We were worried sick when you didn't come back this morning! And all of your things were gone! Oh, we didn't know what to do."

"This has all been quite surreal," Rin said. "But I am glad you are okay."

"I can't really believe it myself," Katara admitted. "This has all happened so quickly."

"What happened, Katara? Or should I say Lady Katara?" On-ji said rather slyly.

"What? What do you mean?"

"The Emperor has given you the title of 2nd Ranked Consort," Rin said, sounding quite impressed. "Now everyone has to bow to you except the Imperial Family and the 1st Consorts."

"Like I care about who has to bow to me!" Katara scoffed. "But, wow."

"'Wow' is right!" On-ji exclaimed. "Nobody has ever gotten promoted so quickly, I think."

But the barrage of questions Katara knew was coming was soon interrupted by a knock on the door. A servant stepped around the doorway and announced visitors, two 3rd ranked Consorts that Katara had never met before. Grateful for the intrusion, she let them in, and they spent the next half hour or so in semi-pleasant conversation, plus some rather blatant brown-nosing.

After that, the stream of visitors never seemed to stop, until finally Katara pleaded exhaustion and was finally left alone to eat dinner and bathe.

But before Katara went to bed, she went out into her new courtyard, lay the scroll out in the grass, and began to carefully try to mimic the movements depicted. It was difficult, for there were only a few steps written out. Katara had never seen waterbending in action, either, at least not beyond her own attempts. Did it look like firebending? Sword fighting? Other martial arts? She decided quickly that firebending, as bending, was the closest thing to waterbending, and that she should mimic that.

It didn't work too well. The water, when she moved sharply from position to position, only seemed to slosh around. Granted, it was an improvement, to an extent, but still.

Finally, in frustration, she grabbed the scroll, stormed inside, slammed the scroll down on a table and went to bed.

She'd try again in the morning.

LINE BREAK LINE BREAK

Katara did not get the chance to practice in the morning.

In fact, Katara had very little chance to get anything done that morning.

Katara had been invited to spend the morning with the Empress.

She had supposed that, one day, she might meet the Empress Ursa, but she had thought that it would be in passing at some party. Now that she was more involved with the Emperor, she really didn't want to spend time with his wife. She had never heard anything bad said about the Empress, at least not the sort of thing one could rely on, but it was difficult to be sure of what really was happening. The worst thing that could happen now would be for Ursa to turn out to be some crazy, jealous old harpy.

So Katara went to visit the Empress cloaked in silk and trepidation.

The Empress lived in a corner of the palace that Katara usually had little reason to visit. It contained the Imperial Family's rooms, meeting rooms, small libraries, and the sort. To get from the main palace to The Empress, Katara and the small entourage that accompanied her now, as a sign of her new status, had to walk through open-air corridors surrounded by gardens. The whole atmosphere made Katara feel as if she were entering another world- one of peace, tranquility, and nature. Somehow, even though she still felt like a hand was gripping at her insides, she felt like she had absorbed a bit of that peace.

The Empress was sitting in a garden when Katara first saw her. She was dressed surprisingly simply, in a red robe with her hair in a simple half top-knot. Ursa was focused very intensely, brows furrowed, on a small pond with little turtle-ducks floating in them. Katara was utterly convinced the moment she saw her that Ursa was one of the most beautiful women she had ever seen. She was delicate and smooth-skinned, and shared much of the characteristics that the other harem women shared. However, there was a strength and determination in her, clearly displayed in the way she was trying to lure the turtle-ducks to eat straight from her hand. She had an inexplicable quality about her that made her seem utterly different from anyone else Katara had ever met.

"Your Majesty," Katara murmured, bowing deeply.

"Oh! Lady Katara, please come and sit down." Ursa looked at her, mild surprise in her expression. "I am so glad that you could come and join me."

"It was my pleasure," Katara said, sitting carefully next to the Empress along the side of the pond.

"I love these little turtle-ducks," Ursa said absently, handing Katara a piece of bread. "They're very good judges of character. Plus, they're very easy to take care of, and one of the cutest animals out there."

"They're very adorable," Katara admitted, ripping off a small piece of bread and throwing it into the water before ripping off another.

"Here," Ursa said, taking Katara's hand. She pulled it outstretched and offered Katara's hand and the bread it contained to a small bird. "If you are gentle, they will eat straight from your hand."

After a moment of hesitation, the fluffy bird shot its head out, grabbed the bite, and paddled away. Katara giggled at the feeling of its beak grabbing at her, and pulled her hand back.

"Should we have tea?" Ursa said, standing and brushing the crumbs into the pond.

A full hour later, and Ursa and Katara were still sat in the garden, their tea now cold between them.

"And he just stood there," Ursa said, laughing uncontrollably, "Completely drenched in red wine, looking like a murder victim! Of course, Zuko was nowhere to be seen. He thought because of that he wouldn't be punished, but oh no. I caught up with him soon after that."

Katara felt like she would burst from laughing. "Zuko sounds wonderful. Quite different from the stories you hear about him."

"Yes," Ursa said, smiling. "He's wonderful. He's had to grow up very quickly. But I am very proud of him."

"What is he doing now? Do you hear from him often?" Katara asked casually.

"Zuko is so busy, I never get to hear from him." Ursa said this just as casually. "I believe that he is somewhere in the Earth Kingdom, but I could be very wrong. After all his accomplishments, he's gone somewhat rogue. Nobody really knows where he is or what he's been doing until after its done. I suppose that when you don't answer to anyone but yourself, that's what happens."

"Is it true that he's a spy?" Katara asked eagerly.

"I suppose that's one way to put it," Ursa laughed. "I used that word once, though, and he wrote back two months later very angrily. He said something along the lines of 'I'm a leader of a highly-trained task force that specializes in whatever it wants to!'"

Katara laughed again, then smiled. "Is it nice being a mother?"

Ursa smiled. "It's the most wonderful thing that's ever happened to me. He is my greatest blessing." She reached out and grabbed Katara's hand. "I am sorry."

"About my not having children?" Katara shook the concerns away. "I'm fine. I don't need children. They'd be one more thing to worry about in this big, concerning world."

"You might think that now," Ursa said, the air of a woman who knew exactly what she was talking about. "When you're older, though, and all you've got left is your charm and your children, you'll realize what a blessing they are."

"I suppose I'll have to wonder forever, then," Katara laughed it off, a pang in her chest. She'd always wanted children. At least she would never have any with the Emperor. It would be impossible to bear looking at a child that looked like him for the rest of her life.

"I always worry about the younger women in the harem," Ursa said. "This is such a glamorous life, that it is sometimes difficult to see beyond the glitter and gold. The palace," She said, straightening her teacup, "and especially the harem, is a very dangerous place."

"I know," Katara nodded. "The women here have faces as lovely as peacocks, but they are tiger-dillos underneath."

"Good. Then you aren't oblivious." Ursa sounded satisfied. "I must also warn you, though, about my husband."

Katara stiffened a little, unnoticeable unless one was watching.

"Ozai does not love anyone." Ursa said, just as if she were talking about the weather. "Not me, not his children, not his harem, and certainly not anyone else in the world. The only thing he loves is power, and feeling powerful."

"I've noticed," Katara said, then turned bright red.

"What I am trying to say is," Ursa said patiently, "Don't get too attached. If you make any mistake, if you fall out of his favor, if you do anything that he doesn't like, there will be consequences. You have risen very high in such a short amount of time. The higher you rise, the farther and faster you fall."

"Have you fallen?" Katara asked. Then she choked. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ask that," She apologized profusely.

"It's fine," Ursa laughed. "Yes, I have. I fell a very long time ago, and I haven't cared too much to try to get back to the top."

"Your highness, this has been lovely, but I should go," Katara said. It was time to get out of there before she and her big fat mouth got in trouble.

"Of course, I have kept you for so long," Ursa said. "Please, Katara, don't hesitate to come to me whenever you need. Think of me as your mother." She took Katara's hands. "You are so close in age to my Zuko, after all."

Katara made her escape after much blushing and bowing. Then she quickly ran back to her new rooms and began writing a letter to her father. So much had happened in the past few days, and she had learned so much! He had to know.

LINE BREAK LINE BREAK

 _Two weeks later._

"Happy Birthday!"

Confetti flew around the room as Katara and Rin cheered the greeting. On-ji looked around Katara's parlor room in amazement. The room had been completely decked out for the occasion. Flowers decked every spare surface, silk garlands were draped all around the edge of the ceiling, and a pile of presents filled the center of the room.

"Oh my!" She gasped. Katara and Rin attacked their friend with hugs, giggling wildly.

"Come!" Katara said, dragging On-ji by the hand to sit at a table that looked as if it were going to break under the weight of so much food. "You have to try this new dessert they made for us!"

The afternoon and evening the girls spent together was loud and boisterous, filled with laughter, food, and far too much fun. Only an hour after the sun had gone down, they had painted finger and toenails, created the most intricate braids, and played the silliest, most embarrassing games.

"Ugh," Rin said, stretching across Katara's bed. "I'm exhausted."

"Me too," On-ji said, curling up close next to her. "But I feel like I've gained, like, a thousand pounds!"

"That's because you ate an entire serving dish of spicy bean dip," Rin said, stroking On-ji's hair absently.

"I feel too much like a slob! Let's do something!" On-ji whined, kicking her legs.

"Like what?" Katara said, poking her head from around the corner where she was washing her face.

"I don't know, something active. Something exciting."

Rin gasped suddenly, sitting up. "What if," She said slowly, "We went skinny dipping."

"Where?" Katara scoffed. "My fish pond?"

"No!" She scowled, kicking at Katara with her foot. "In the ocean!"

"Rin, in case you haven't noticed, the ocean is outside the palace walls, and we aren't allowed to go there." On-ji said gently.

"But it's right there!" Rin protested, pointing right out Katara's window.

It was true that the ocean was extremely close to Katara's rooms. Really, it was barely any sort of distance at all, and there was a rocky beach right there. The view was one of her favorite things. She felt soothed just being closer to it, as if proximity to her element was the only thing she needed to feel safe.

Katara went over and looked down. It was barely any distance to the ground below. Sneaking out would be child's play.

"Well," Katara said, "I'm always down for a swim."

On-ji and Rin started squealing. Without even looking out the window, On-ji threw her leg over the window sill, and hopped down, Rin right on her heels. Katara followed them with a laugh. They made a quick pile of their clothes on the rocks and entered the water, giggling and gasping at the temperature of the ocean.

They splashed around, then rested. They started little wars, then floated around the little cove. They paddled about, then settled in the shallows.

"I'm so glad you suggested this, Rin," Katara sighed, engulfed in water up to her chin. "I haven't felt this great in a long time."

"I'm surprised that you haven't done this before now," On-ji said.

"Hmm… Yeah," Katara said.

"Should we head in soon?" Rin asked.

"Oh, let's wait a few more minutes," Onji pleaded. "The stars are so nice tonight."

The three of them sat, neck-deep in the shallows, looking up at the stars. The sky was dark, but filled with thousands of tiny bright lights. Although the night was cold, and the wind chilled against the girls' skin, they sat there in perfect contentment.

"What… is that?" Rin suddenly said, breaking the silence.

Katara puzzled for a moment over her words. Then she saw what the girl meant. A shadowy, shapeless figure was traveling across the sky, blotting out the stars as it went. It had a strange trajectory, coming closer and closer.

"A bird?" Onji wondered. "No, I bet it's an airship."

"Well," Rin said, "What ever it is, I think it's coming near to us."

"It's crashing!" Katara realized. "Go, get your clothes and go inside!" Rin and Onji raced to the rocks and grabbed their nightgowns. Katara followed them and pulled her own clothes on, but instead of following the others inside, she waited. If the ship ended up crashing, then the people inside might need help.

The ship grew closer and closer, until Katara could recognize it as an airship. Unlike all the other airships she had ever seen before, however, this one had no Fire Nation Imperial signa on it, nor any markings at all. Soon, it was close enough that Katara saw four people in the basket, all looking rather panicked.

The airship crashed violently into the water. The ship itself did not break, but began sinking swiftly. Immediately, Katara dove into the water and began swimming for the ship.

She could see that one of the passengers had already grabbed another passenger and dragged them up towards the surface. Another one was quick to follow, but the fourth one looked like was stuck. Katara swept down and saw that his foot had been trapped in the basket. Quickly, she twisted it free, then grabbed him and shot upward.

The moment they broke the surface, hands grabbed her and the boy and dragged them onto the rocks.

"Are you okay, miss?" The man who had pulled her out asked. Katara nodded, then looked at the boy she had rescued. He looked a couple years younger than she was, sixteen or seventeen at the most, and looked quite funny. His hair was cropped extremely close to the head, and his companion was straightening the headband he wore, which had become skewed in the crash landing.

"Are you okay?" She asked, and the boy turned. Immediately, his eyes widened and his ears turned bright red.

"Y-yeah!" He said, giving her a bright smile. "I'm great!"

"Good," She smiled back. "The rest of you?"

The man who had straightened the younger boy's headband simply nodded. He had long hair hanging loosely around his face. He was tall and strong looking, with the typical Fire Nation look about him. Most remarkable about him, though, was the massive scar that covered nearly a quarter of his face.

A girl sat on the rocks behind them, barefoot. "I'm good, thanks to Snoozles, here," She said, pointing to the man closest to Katara.

"Aww, thank you, Toph, for acknowledging me and my bravery! It means a lot to me," he said.

Katara turned to examine him for the first time, then stopped short. He was tall- not as tall as his Fire Nation friend, though- and strong. His hair was dark brown and shoulder-length, the top half tied up. Most importantly, however, his skin was the same tone as Katara's, and his eyes the same shade of deep blue.

Astonished, Katara gaped at him. "You're Water Tribe!"

 **And there we go! The introduction you've all been waiting for! Do let me know what you think.**

 **Thank you all for being so patient with me! This chapter took a while to write. I actually wrote the majority of it months ago, then restarted it because it felt wayyyyyyy too angsty. I never intend for this story to be extremely dark. Perhaps more so than the show, but definitely still fairly light. It was going down a route that made me not very happy, so I had to try again.**

 **A massive thank you to my fantastic beta, ML8991! You were such a good help to have!**

 **As always, please tell me what you thought of this chapter! Your feedback is most appreciated!**


	5. Chapter 5

**10/19/2018 Edit Note:**

 **Thank you so much to reviewer KelseyAlicia, who noticed some issues with Aang's name! For now, he is going by the name Kuzon. Originally I had written this chapter calling him Aang, and during editing I changed my mind. I guess I forgot to change his name elsewhere! Thanks so much!**

 _Astonished, Katara gaped at him. "You're Water Tribe!"_

The man jumped a little, and looked at her. "And?" He asked, sounding as if he were a little bit creeped out by her outburst.

"I'm sorry," Katara apologized, realizing how strange her words sounded. "I've just never met another Water Tribesman before."

Suddenly, Katara realized what position she was in. If this man was Water Tribe, and his companions were as diverse a group as they seemed, then it was almost guaranteed that they were members of the rebellion. And if they were, then they were in danger.

"Would you all like to come inside," She said. She could question them better when they were at least under cover. "I'd feel much better if you did."

"Where?" The Fire Nation man asked, speaking for the first time.

"Inside," She said. "Really, I just want to make you're all fine."

"Wow! Thanks!" The young boy and the girl started following her, the boy fishing a very wet little animal from the rocks and setting it on his shoulder. "This is Momo, my lemur!"

Katara turned her back on them all and walked to the wall of the palace, expecting them to follow her. She jumped and pulled herself over the edge of the windowsill, using her feet to get a grip and hoist her up. Checking behind her, she saw the group in a heated discussion out on the rocks, not anywhere near the window, the youngest two members of the group trudging back to the others. Rin and Onji were waiting impatiently for her. Clearly, they had been watching as events conspired outside.

"What happened? Is anyone hurt?" Onji asked.

"They're all fine, but I'm bringing them all inside to make sure everything's okay," She said. Katara bit her lip and took a deep breath, trying to figure out how to get the girls out of this situation. No matter how much of a help they would be, it would be safer for them to be involved as little as possible.

"If you wouldn't mind," Katara said tentatively, awkwardness stepping into her tone like she had into the room, "I think it might be a little much for them to meet all three of us. I hate asking you to leave, but…"

"You want us to leave? Are you sure?" Rin said, a little skeptically. "We could help out."

"I'm sorry," Katara said, a little more pleadingly. "But I think you could help out best by covering for me for a little while, just while I figure out the situation."

"Okay, then. We will see you in the morning, Katara." Onji said, kissing her friend on the cheek. "Thank you for such a wonderful birthday!"

"I don't know what I would do without you two," Katara smiled warmly at them, pulling them both into a hug.

After another brief moment, the pair left, and Katara looked out the window. The four were standing on the rocks, talking quite heatedly. The group looked somewhat tense, and the tall Fire Nation man looked angry and frustrated. He said something, then all of the group looked over to her window. Katara smiled and waved at them.

It took another few minutes for them to climb over the rocks and haul themselves through the window. Most of them already seemed to have shaken of the shock of the fall. The youngest boy leaped from rock to rock, light as a feather, then easily jumped into Katara's bedroom. The girl made her way over just as easily, and was lifted up by the Water Tribesman for the brown-haired boy to pull up into the room. The Water Tribesman fell into the room far more clumsily than the others, and the final member of their party jumped smoothly into the room, looking over her belongings like he owned the place.

"Nice room!" The young boy said.

"Thank you," Katara said. She handed them all towels to dry off with. "My name is Katara."

"Thanks, Katara!" The young boy said, taking his towel. "I'm Kuzon! This is Sokka, Toph, and Li."

"'Sup," said Toph.

"Yeah, hi," Sokka said quickly. "What did you mean back there? Are you Water Tribe?"

"Yes." Katara asked it almost as a question, a little affronted by his tone. He had gotten a little too close for comfort, as well, getting into her personal space.

"What are you doing here then?"

"I was born in the Fire Nation," Katara said honestly. "I'm married now, and my husband lives here in the palace."

"Who's your husband?" Li asked. He stood leaning against the windowsill, his hair already drying at the ends.

"Just a politician," Katara said quickly. "You wouldn't know him."

"Try me," Li said, a challenge in his eye.

"It really doesn't matter who my husband is," Katara insisted, avoiding the question. "I can tell just by looking at you guys that you wouldn't last long if you were discovered. I'd like to offer you sanctuary until you find a safe way to get where you need to go."

"Thanks, but no," Li said briskly, dismissing her offer gently yet firmly.

"I know that you do not trust me," Katara said gently, approaching him, "But I want to help. I can hide you here. I can take care of everything."

"I don't know about you guys," Toph said, "But I'm staying at least tonight. I am sick and tired of that stupid airship. I can't see anything in there except for you three idiots!"

"Toph, if you'd like, you can borrow some of my clothes. At least until yours are dry." Katara smiled at the girl. She shrugged, not looking at Katara, but agreeing.

"You all look exhausted. Stay the night, at least. Get yourselves rested and cleaned up, and you can leave tomorrow," Katara said firmly.

A series of nods passed around the group. "Okay," Sokka said. "We'll stay, but just for tonight."

* * *

It didn't take long for Katara to make sure everyone was settled. Even though she didn't have any extra mattresses, it was easy for Katara to make makeshift beds out of the couch cushions.

"You three can sleep out here," She said to the boys, making the final adjustments to the blankets on the beds. "Since we don't have enough cushions, Toph, you can sleep with me."

"I'm fine on the floor, but okay. Also, don't you have anything less…fancy?" Toph asked as she came around the door, shifting uncomfortably in the solid silk nightgown she had ended up in. Since she was a good deal shorter than Katara, the hem of the nightgown pooled around her feet onto the floor.

"Sorry, but that's my simplest one." Katara straightened up. "This one doesn't have any lace on it." She turned and spoke to the men in the room. "You will need to wake up early tomorrow. The servants usually arrive a little while after sunrise. Just make sure all the cushions are back in place and that you are all in my bedroom around sunrise."

"We want answers," Li said, grabbing her arm before she walked away.

"And I will give them to you," Katara said firmly. "In the morning, though. I know that I'm tired, and I'm pretty sure that you guys are too."

Twin snores from Aang and Sokka confirmed her statement.

"When everyone is conscious in the morning, then we can talk."

"Alright," Li said, a little reluctantly. He quickly let go of her hand and turned away. "Goodnight. We will talk in the morning."

Toph and Katara slipped into the bedroom and under the sheets. Toph was out like a light in seconds flat, but Katara lay awake, the pounding of her heart and the screaming of her thoughts making her toss and turn for hours. It was incredible! A kinsman, literally falling to her doorstep! People who might be like her!

At least, she hoped they were like her. It was very likely that they were rebels, fighting against the Empire. But they hadn't confirmed anything. Katara would have to be cautious. No matter how unlikely it be that such a diverse group of people would be traveling together, there had been stranger occurrences.

The morning came far too early for Katara's taste. She usually never woke until at least an hour after dawn had broken. This morning, however, she had to wake up before dawn and make sure she had everything prepared and hidden from her servants. Despite only wanting to roll over and go back to sleep, she dragged herself out of bed.

A bleary-eyed Sokka, bouncy Aang, and frowning Li had already all set to work folding blankets and putting couch cushions back in their original positions. Or rather, Aang was balancing cushions on his head and chattering to his little pet lemur, Sokka had wrapped himself in a blanket and was watching with a half-dead expression, and Li was actually putting everything away. Quickly, Katara shooed Aang and his lemur into the bedroom, then tugged Sokka's blanket until he was just out of sight in the other room. Then she helped Li put the finishing touches on the room.

Just as she started to fold the very last blanket, there was a click of the door handle. With a panicked look, Katara grabbed the stack of blankets out of Li's arms, shoved him towards the bedroom, and flung herself onto the couch. The blankets fell haphazardly over her. The maid walked backwards to push the door open, holding a large basket in her hands. As she turned around, Katara only prayed that Li had managed to shut the door.

"Oh!" The maid said, surprised. "Good morning, your Ladyship. I didn't expect you to be awake now."

"I couldn't sleep," Katara moaned. "I feel awful."

"Oh, dear!" The maid, whose name Katara was wracking her brains to remember. "Do you think you're sick?"

"I must be, with how terrible I feel." Katara paused for a moment. "It doesn't help that… well, my monthly just started coming."

"Oh, my," She blushed and ducked her head. "Can I do anything to help you, milady?" She said, walking over to feel Katara's forehead.

"You know," Katara said, grabbing and holding on to the hand before it could touch her, "I think I just want to rest undisturbed today. Maybe you could tell everyone I want to be left alone today?"

"Of course, milady." The maid was hesitant to leave. "Would you like me to bring you anything to eat? Or would you like me to stay with you?"

"Oh, I am starving! Perhaps you could just bring enough food for today, and then I can rest undisturbed the rest of the day. But bring a lot of food, I feel like I could eat a whole komodo-dragon!"

"I'll notify the kitchen, and will be back soon." With a quick bow, the maid gathered up her supplies and scurried out the door.

The second the door clicked shut, Katara flung the blankets out of the way and leaped to her feet.

"You can come out now!" She said cheerfully, flinging the door aside. She froze for a second before laughing at the sight laid out before her.

When Katara shoved Li through the door, he must have disturbed Kuzon's little lemur friend, for now the little creature had wrapped himself like a vice around the poor man's head. Kuzon, who for some reason was wearing a lampshade on his head, was doing his very best to coax the animal down. All the while, Toph still was in the bed where she had been when Katara last saw her. Now, however, she was stiff as a board, with limbs sticking out at the most awkward angles because Sokka, still asleep, had gotten onto the bed and tangled his limbs around her in a crushing vice.

It only took a minute to free Li from the evil clutches of Momo the lemur. Prying Toph out of Sokka's hold took quite a bit longer, but eventually they managed. In the end, Sokka was awake enough to be wanting breakfast.

"A maid will be coming soon with enough food for today," Katara apologized as she poured tea for everyone. "In the meantime, I think we should all talk."

The four travelers straightened up. All ears and eyes were on Katara.

"I would like to let you know that everything I have said to you so far is completely truthful."

"I'll vouch for that, Sugar Queen," Toph said. "Now just keep going. I'll tell you if you're lying."

"Err… Thank you, Toph," Katara said hesitantly. "Because I want you all to trust me, I want you to ask me as many questions as you wish. I only ask that you understand that there are some things that I cannot share with you."

"What kind of things?" Sokka said suspiciously.

"My family, mostly," Katara shrugged. "I'd like to keep them out of this. Basic questions are fine, though."

"Okay," said Sokka, eyes still narrowed. His suspicion was so exaggerated, Katara felt that it could almost be comical, had he not been so earnest, or if it wasn't directed at her. "First question: if you are Water Tribe, how are you here?"

"My mother was going to be killed in a raid before I was born. My father was a soldier who saved her. He took us in. He raised me, protected me, loved me, even if I wasn't really his daughter. Everyone here thinks that I am half Fire Nation, though."

"Who is your husband?" Li said gruffly.

"He… is a high-ranking official. He is involved in the government in multiple areas, and his status has allowed him to have multiple wives and a home inside the palace. I am a more recent addition to his family, and although I am currently his favorite, I am not very high ranking among his wives."

"How close is he to the Emperor?" His eyes, even though they burned very brightly, shone a little colder at this.

"Quite," was the stiff answer he received.

"I have a question," Kuzon said, seriously compared to his usually silly manner. "Why are you doing this? I mean, why are you helping us?"

"My mother," Katara said, smiling a little through her words. "She always taught me that kindness should come first. I cannot turn anyone away. You were in need, and I had the capability to help you."

"Your mother sounds like a wise woman," Kuzon grinned.

"She was. She and my father are the greatest people I've ever met. Some of my favorite memories with my father are of learning to play Pai Sho with him." She paused to gauge their reactions as she took another sip of tea. There was very little difference in any of them, except perhaps a surprised stiffness that hadn't been there a moment before. "He is the only reason I know how to properly use the White Lotus tile."

"Should we play a game while we wait for your friends?" Li asked.

"I'd like that," Katara replied, meeting the fire in his eyes with that of her own. "And after, you can tell me all about how you came to crash in my backyard."

One quick relocation to the Pai Sho board kept near the door to the small garden later, Katara and Li sat opposite each other, the other three crowding around them. The whole room was holding their breath, as if the result of this game would change their world forever. Which, granted, it could.

The only one unaffected was Momo, who was stretching his leg straight up in the air so he could clean his underside.

"Ladies first," Li offered. Katara took the bait and fished out the first tile she would place in the White Lotus gambit.

Click.

Li placed his tile.

Click.

Click.

Click. Click.

Click. Click. Click

Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click.

Click.

Not a single tile removed, not a single word spoken. But as the last tiles were placed simultaneously, a shuddering sigh of relief and shock filled the room. For the tiles on the board created a shape that, to anyone who knew its meaning, has such a feeling of joy and safety associated with it that to see it in such an unexpected place was extraordinary. The tiles, weaving in and around each other, spoke of safety, of peace, and of justice.

Such was the nature of the Gambit of the White Lotus.

"I knew it!" Katara beamed. "I knew I could trust you!"

"I assume one of your parents is a member?" Li asked.

"My father." Katara nodded, still grinning. "Speaking of him, he might be able to help you out with your situation. If I could just know what happened…?"

"Oh! We stole an airship so we could get to this place in the western region of the Fire Nation. We usually would take Appa, my bison, but he caught a cold so we had to make do. There's this village in the Earth Kingdom that has this disease going around right now," Kuzon chattered happily, "And we needed to get this one herb from this one island. So we were going to get that."

"And you'd never guess it," Toph rolled her eyes, "but these three dumbos got in a fight over

and ended up ripping the balloon."

"Hey, those were special socks!" Sokka cried out. "I don't fight about just

socks!"

"Sure, Snoozles. Anyway, then we crashed, and now we are stranded here, and an entire village is going to die because of

"Well

But-" Sokka's words got higher and higher with every word. It was funny to see a man who was almost certainly twenty years old speak in such a high, squeaky voice when he was worked up, but on Sokka, it worked in some strange way.

Toph and Sokka's voices began to get louder and their words more teasing as the moments passed, and the other three watched on and laughed.

A knock at the door and the creaking of hinges alerted Katara to the arrival of their breakfast.

"Down!" She hissed waving her arms frantically, and everyone flattened themselves to the ground. Hurriedly, she threw a few blankets over them, then ran to sit on an armoire far away from her guests.

A set of two maids entered, rolling in carts of food. The trays were heavily laden with all kinds of food, everything from bowls of rice and fish, to a huge steaming pot of noodle soup, and sizzling meats covered in glistening sauces.

"You can just leave the food on the table over there," Katara called to them. With quick nods, they arranged the spread of delicacies. The food covered the low table until there was hardly an inch uncovered. The steams, aromas, and sauces spiraled up towards the ceiling, and filled the room with wonderful, rich smells. Katara heard a very loud grumbling stomach come from behind the couch.

"Would you like anything else, my lady?" The maid asked. With a quick dismissal, Katara shooed the girls out the door.

"Food?" The second the door was shut, Sokka was as alert as a prairie dog in an instant. Then both he and Kuzon were a fury of scrambling limbs as they flung themselves over the back of the couch towards the table. Katara heard satisfied, hungry banter as the boys stuffed their faces.

The morning was spent in cheerful, rather mindless activity. The maids had brought a veritable feast. As the group ate, the four travelers talked and talked of their amazing adventures and the things they had seen.

They spoke of giant sea monsters and crazy spirits, mazes inside of mountains and canyons of refugees, cities of gleaming stone and the secrets they kept. Of course, they spoke nothing of their involvement in the war, nor of their real identities. No matter what trust they had established between them, the walls in this palace were thin, and it would be best to wait until another time to share that information.

Sokka- who seemed to have a never-ending stomach- and Kuzon- who was at the time of life where no matter how much he ate he never seemed to be filled- were lying on their backs, stomachs protruding out by the end of their meal.

"Ugh," was the only thing they could get Sokka to say. Kuzon was a little more responsive, with the words "I never want to eat again."

But five minutes later, the two were heckling Toph to join them in a game of hacky-sack.

"Li, can I talk to you?" Katara said to the Fire Bender. He looked at her, a little surprised, but nodded and followed her. She led him to the open doorway to the small garden.

"I wanted to ask you if you would be okay if I wrote to my father for help. It would be a simple matter for him to get a supply of that herb. You could hide out here until then, a few days at most, and then he could help you all find a way out of here."

"Will you be able to hide us for that long?" Li frowned.

"It would be difficult," Katara admitted. "But I think I could do it. The longest I think I could fake this illness would be a week. I don't think that it would take any longer than that, though."

"If you would be willing to write to your father," Li said, "We all would be very grateful."

Katara smiled warmly at him. "I'll let him know right away."

The group spent the entire day tucked away in Katara's rooms. Her surprise guests seemed to be enjoying themselves, and Katara was able to amuse them enough to distract them. But there was a feeling of anxiousness beneath the surface. It was as if they were all just waiting for something to happen, but they weren't quite sure what.

As the night began to fall, sleep began to cloud the eyes of all present. They began to set up the makeshift beds for the night when quite out of the blue, there was a knock on the door.

Heads shot up. Katara's heart began to pound. She knew that there was only one reason anyone would be knocking on her door at this time of night. Quickly, Katara messed with her hair, pinched her cheeks to make them look flushed, and threw a blanket over her shoulders. Steeling herself, Katara opened the door, the eyes of the entire room on her.

"Good evening, Lady Katara," said the eunuch waiting for her. "He has asked for you, tonight."

"Oh, dear," Katara smiled, and sniffled a little. "Didn't they pass the message on? I'm not going to be able to join him tonight. I'm not feeling very well."

The poor eunuch paled at the news. "Are you sure you're not well?"

"Quite," Katara said firmly, then coughed. The eunuch took a step back. His disgusted expression showed clearly how convinced he was of her illness.

"Oh my," he groaned. "And he's not in a good mood tonight, either. How can I go back there without you?"

"Is there anyone else you could take?" Katara asked, sighing.

"Who? If I make the wrong choice, it will be my head!"

Katara wrung her hands. If she left, there would be nobody to hide her guests if there was an emergency. She wouldn't be there to host them, or ensure that they had all they needed. But if she didn't obey this summons, what would happen to her relationship with the Emperor? She held his favor for now, but if she disobeyed him or if he became distracted, she couldn't guarantee what his actions would be. Suggesting another person for this eunuch to take was always an option, but could Katara bear to be responsible for subjecting another girl to the unbridled temper of an angry Ozai?

Setting her jaw, Katara said "Wait here," and shut the door. She turned to her guests, as they wiggled out from beneath furniture and behind curtains.

"I'm going to have to head out for the night," she said. She moved past Li and Toph to get to the bedroom. "You all can make yourselves at home," She said, using the mirror to powder her nose. "I'll be back as early as I can, but be sure that you all are awake and ready to be hidden by sunrise in case a maid comes in in the morning." Katara checked her hair, then grabbed the little bag she kept ready for these times off her dresser.

"Where are you going?" Sokka asked.

"Not far," Katara smiled at him. Then, with hardly another word, she swept past Li, Toph, Kuzon, and Sokka, before slipping out the door. For their sake, and for the sake of their rebellion, she wrapped herself more tightly in her robe and walked with the eunuch towards the Emperor.

* * *

 **Hello everyone!**

 **I'm back!**

 **I am so sorry for the really long delay getting this next chapter to you all! I have been living the busiest year of my life so far. My mom and I were thinking about it earlier, and we realized that the first day where I had absolutely nothing to do in the entirety of 2018 was in August! And now I've just started college, and I honestly should be studying because I have a midterm tomorrow, but I've been having a lot of fun with this, and I'm having fun writing this story.**

 **What did you all think of this chapter? Where do you guys think the story will go next? Any plotline ideas, or suggestions for new characters? I really love hearing from you guys, and I had a lot of really wonderful reviews recently. I do my best to reply to your reviews, although sometimes I can't because of settings, or I forget to for a very long time.**

 **(also, we have 25 reviews, 32 favorites, and 78 follows! Holy cow! Thank you all so much, and welcome to all of my new readers! I am really thankful for all of you! Thank you for your support!)**

 **As always, I beg your forgiveness and ask for your patience... I will keep this story going! It just might take a very long time...**

 **with all of my love,**

 **xoxo**

 **Soup :)**

 **7/28/2019 EDIT: I ended up really disliking the last part of this chapter, so just the very last section has been changed. I feel like it flows better with how I envisioned the story going, and it just makes more sense, character-wise.**


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